Two carbon capture in Waste-to-Energy (WtE) projects have been selected for funding under the EU Innovation Fund, highlighting the role that WtE with carbon capture can play in achieving the EU’s climate targets.

The Öresundskraft AB’s Innozhero carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Helsinborg, Sweden, will receive support of EUR 54 million under the Innovation Fund. The CCS facility, which should be operational by 2026, aims to capture up to 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ per annum. WtE plants in Sweden already play a key environmental role, treating approximately 6.8 million tonnes of waste per year and supplying 25% of the country’s district heating. As well as diverting waste from landfill and reducing the need for burning oil and gas, the implementation of CCS technology means that WtE plants such as Öresundskraft’s will be able to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Likewise, the Herambiente Ferrara WtE Plant in Italy has been awarded EUR 24 million for the installation of enzymatic CCS technology developed by Saipem. This project will allow for 90% of the WtE plant’s emissions to be captured, resulting in a reduction of 64 thousand tonnes of CO₂ per year (around the emissions of 37 thousand cars). The carbon capture plant will use renewable energy, with geothermal heat coming from the district heating network as well as energy from the plant itself. It will be the first CCS project of this scale in a WtE plant in Italy, showcasing the potential that WtE can play in reducing atmospheric CO₂ while hygenically treating non-recyclable waste.

ESWET boasts a Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage working group to explore and advance this technology’s benefits in application to Waste-to-Energy plants.