ERM, a global leader in sustainability consulting, has released a comprehensive report exploring the potential of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) within the UK’s Energy from Waste (EfW) sector. The study delves into how CCS on EfW aligns with the UK’s ambitious net zero goals.
Commissioned by Viridor, the report highlights that CCS on EfW can significantly contribute to the UK’s 2035 greenhouse gas removal (GGR) target, potentially providing 27% of the required GGRs.
Furthermore, ERM‘s analysis suggests that CCS on EfW could play a pivotal role in achieving a carbon-neutral electricity grid by 2035, supporting the UK government’s decarbonization objectives.
The report also underscores the economic benefits of CCS on EfW, estimating potential investments of £19 billion (~$21.1 billion) by 2050 and the creation of over 14,000 green jobs.
Over the past two decades, the UK has witnessed a substantial increase in the utilization of EfW facilities by local authorities, driven by regulations limiting landfill waste disposal.
EfW offers numerous advantages, including mitigating landfill-related environmental impacts like methane emissions, generating electricity, and enabling the recovery of valuable metals from waste.
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CCS emerges as the sole technology capable of reducing Scope 1 emissions from EfW. Six UK-based EfW facilities, strategically located near CO2 storage hubs, have already unveiled their CCS plans.
The UK government is actively working with two of these facilities, Protos ERF and Viridor Runcorn, to secure funding for CCS deployment, aiming for operational readiness by 2027. These facilities are strategically positioned within the HyNet Cluster in Merseyside, one of the UK’s prioritized industrial clusters.
Silvian Baltac, Partner leading ERM’s Industrial Decarbonization practice, said: “ERM’s 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.”
“It also provides significant opportunity for investment and green jobs in historic industrial areas that could support regional growth for decades to come.”
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