Enfinium has successfully launched what it says is the UK’s first carbon capture pilot at an energy-from-waste plant at its site in Ferrybridge.

The launch is a milestone for enfinium’s plans to deploy carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology across its UK facilities to generate carbon removals at scale and support the UK’s net zero target.

The technology, a containerised, scaled-down version of the CCS technology that enfinium could deploy across all of its sites, was supplied by global green technology company Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI).

The pilot is installed at enfinium’s Ferrybridge-1 facility in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, and is capturing one tonne of CO2 emissions from the plant’s operations each day.

The trial is being used to demonstrate how the technology can be applied at scale across enfinium’s energy-from-waste facilities to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

The pilot is collecting real operational data on performance, such as CO2 capture rate and solvent degradation, and will assess the performance of different amine solvents. The trial will run for at least 12 months.

Earlier this year, enfinium announced its Net Zero Transition Plan, setting out how it will decarbonise its own operations and deliver up to 1.2 million tonnes of carbon removals a year in the 2030s.

The plan is underpinned by an investment programme of up to £1.7bn, with a focus on investing in carbon capture and storage technology across its energy-from-waste facilities to deliver carbon removals at scale.

Mike Maudsley, CEO of enfinium, said: “We are proud to have this sector-leading project up and running at our Ferrybridge facility.

“Carbon capture and storage technology is central to how the UK will be able to decarbonise its unrecyclable waste.

“CCS is also a critical to generating carbon removals at scale so the UK can achieve net zero.

“Using carbon capture, the energy from waste sector can provide significant levels of carbon removals and enfinium, with the support of HZI, are taking steps now to achieve this.”

Bruno-Frédéric Baudouin, CEO of HZI, added: “Working with enfinium to deliver the UK’s first carbon capture pilot at an energy from waste facility is an exciting project.

“The operational pilot demonstrates our capability to deliver vital decarbonising infrastructure for the waste sector that is critical to the industry’s net zero ambitions.

“The project will meaningfully expand our carbon capture knowledge base and provide a springboard for delivering decarbonisation solutions worldwide.

“Our vision is to enhance decarbonisation, circularity and supply security for present and future generations, and this project embodies perfectly what we are striving for.”

Olivia Powis, CEO of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, said the launch at Ferrybridge was “very exciting to see”.

“With millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste produced by the UK, this is an important demonstration of the use of CCS to generate clean power via energy from waste, as well as providing a future route to establishing the UK’s greenhouse gas removal market and enfinium have taken a landmark step with its delivery,” she added.

“Through projects such as the one at Ferrybridge, the UK will be able to meet the clean power by 2030 target.”

Enfinium is also advancing the planning and consenting programme for the installation of carbon capture and storage at its Ferrybridge 1 and 2 Facilities in West Yorkshire by launching a five-week public consultation, running from 16 September to 20 October.

The project was designated as a Project of National Significance earlier this year.

To find out more, share feedback, or register for the online webinar, contact decarbonisation@enfiniumferrybridge.co.uk.