A combined heat and power demonstrator plant in the UK has been able to generate food grade carbon dioxide (CO2).
The plant, designed by Ricardo with consortium partners Bluebox Energy and Woodtek Engineering, is fed by sustainable wood waste to supply clean energy, heat and biochar along with CO2, and can capture up to 90% of carbon in the feedstock.
Annual performance figures for a commercial, single-module based on 8,000 hours of operation are 2,600 tonnes of waste woodchip; 540 tonnes of biochar; 2,300 tonnes of food-grade carbon dioxide; 330 MWh of electricity; and 1,200 MWh of heat, providing the potential to capture up to 4,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
The consortium is funded by the UK Government through the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) under the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Josh Dalby, Head of Engineering Technology at Ricardo, who is the Chief Engineer for the demonstrator plant project said he was “very encouraged” by the results so far from development testing.
He said, “We know that these results will be of interest to potential clients from food and drink manufacturing, agriculture and construction who are seeking innovative technology solutions to help them decarbonise their operations and cut emissions but also provide the reassurance of security of supply of heat, power and food-grade carbon dioxide created from biowaste.”
To deliver the project, Ricardo technical experts have drawn on their collective credentials in policy around Net Zero targets, expertise in carbon capture systems and cogeneration technologies, and application of engineering and digital engineering capabilities and tools developed from the automotive sector.
The company has drawn on 20 years’ experience in bioenergy and CO2 capture and utilisation technologies.
The Shoreham plant technology is now commercially available. Councillor Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council and Chair of the Greater Brighton Economic Board, said Ricardo’s technology has the potential to make a huge contribution to making British and global industries sustainable.
