Finnish energy company Vantaa Energy is progressing its plan to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2) from all its waste-to-energy plants.
The project has now entered the environmental impact assessment, zoning, permitting and commercial negotiations phases, with a potential investment decision expected in 2027.
The total investment could amount to hundreds of millions of euros, while the cost of establishing the full carbon value chain is estimated in the billions.
Waste-to-energy processes generate heat for electricity and district heating but produce unavoidable CO2 emissions.
Vantaa Energy’s capture initiative aims to address these emissions, as Kalle Patomeri, Business Director, Energy and Circular Economy, explains, “If the capture project is implemented, we would have an almost emission-free way to treat non-recyclable mixed waste from households in the southern Finland region. And that would give it a significant positive footprint.”
The company plans to store captured CO2 in geological formations, either under the seabed in Danish or Norwegian waters or in suitable underground formations on land.
To do this, additional infrastructure is required, including liquefied CO2 logistics to the port, specialised ships, and technology to inject the CO2 into storage sites. The estimated cost for the capture plant at Vantaa’s Långmossebergen site is approximately €350 million ($388m).
Vantaa Energy’s ultimate goal is to be carbon negative in its energy production by 2030. However, realising the project will require cooperation between the State and partner companies.
“We estimate the total cost of creating such a value chain to be in the billion range. We cannot do this alone; we need a common understanding and concrete cooperation,” said Patomeri.
A large portion of the captured CO2 will be biogenic, accounting for 40-50% of the total 660,000 tonnes expected to be sequestered annually. This presents a commercial opportunity, as biogenic CO2 produces negative emissions, allowing companies in harder-to-decarbonise industries, such as aviation, to offset their emissions by purchasing carbon credits.
Patomeri added, “The airline could then sell flights with fully offset emissions. For the project to be viable, the revenue from the carbon credits must make the project profitable for us.”
With many factors still in flux, including permitting and technology, the project carries risks. However, Vantaa Energy is optimistic about its future role in Finland’s carbon reduction efforts stating that it will help to position the country at the forefront of European carbon capture and storage innovation.
Beyond Vantaa Energy, other initiatives in the country include Neste’s pilot carbon capture project at its Porvoo refinery, aimed at reducing emissions in Finland’s largest industrial cluster.
Fortum and Helsinki Energy (Helen) have explored CCS at Helsinki’s Hanasaari and Salmisaari power plants.
