Total estimated capital investment for carbon capture in Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities in the UK is now £19bn, according to a report from ERM and commissioned by Viridor.
The investment could unlock up to £40bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) and create 14,000 jobs, the report states.
It found the uptake of CCS in EfW could lead to the capture of nearly 20 MtCO2/y if applied to all assets and contribute 27% of the UK’s greenhouse gas removals target by 2035, enabling a carbon neutral electricity grid.
Source: ERM CCS from EfW report
The sector can support infrastructure development by providing a consistent baseload supply of CO2 that can act as an anchor demand. CCS is ‘the only technology available’ for abating Scope 1 emissions from EfW.
Eight large-capacity EfWs are within 25km of Track 1 CCUS clusters in Teesside and Merseyside, and six are located near prioritised hubs for CO2 storage.
The UK Government recently confirmed funding for carbon capture in both regions, which are forecast to yield £8bn in private investment.
Read more: UK gives £22bn boost to blue hydrogen and CCS
Up to 30 EfW assets are well placed to deploy CCS by 2035, the report added.
The use of EfW facilities by UK local authorities has increased significantly over the last 20 years as measures were introduced to limit the amount of residual waste sent to landfills.
Benefits of EfW include the avoidance of landfill environmental impacts such as methane emissions, electricity generation and the ability to recover valuable metals from waste.
An Oxford Institute for Energy Studies paper published earlier this year found while other nascent GGR solutions such as direct air capture may need long testing and investment stages, EfW and CCS rely on proven technology, further highlighting the strategic role they can play in meeting targets.
“Not only can CCS help decarbonise EfW facilities, but the EfW sector is also key in ensuring the timely and large-scale deployment of CCS itself as a national decarbonisation solution,” it stated.
Pipeline transport of CO2 provides the lowest cost and lowest emissions for EfW facilities in England, Scotland and Wales, the paper added.
enfinium recently launched the UK’s first carbon capture pilot at an Energy from Waste (EfW) site.
The launch was hailed as a ‘milestone’ for the sector and for enfinium’s plans to deploy CCS technology across its UK facilities to generate carbon removals at scale and support the UK’s Net Zero target.
Read more: First UK carbon capture at EfW site goes live
Silvian Baltac, Partner leading ERM’s Industrial Decarbonisation practice, said its analysis shows that uptake of CCS across the UK’s EfW facilities is aligned with the UK’s Net Zero strategy and supports key government targets.
He said, “It also provides significant opportunity for investment and green jobs in historic industrial areas that could support regional growth for decades to come.”
