The National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore has said it expects to complete a national feasibility study on carbon capture at waste-to-energy (WTE) plants by the second quarter of 2024, local daily The Straits Times reported Sunday.
The study is jointly conducted by NEA and Keppel Seghers, a local WTE developer and operator. It includes plans for a pilot carbon capture facility to be integrated with selected WTE plants to validate shortlisted carbon capture technologies.
In 2021, Keppel Seghers carried out a similar feasibility study for its Runcorn WTE plant in the United Kingdom, which can be used as a model template for the pilot facility in Singapore, according to Mr Yeo Tze Yuen, a senior professional officer at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
“By working closely with Keppel Seghers, NEA will have significantly reduced the many risks that arise from designing and operating a new plant from scratch,” he was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.
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Keppel Seghers is the leading partner in the consortium developing the Tuas Nexus integrated waste management facility, which is expected to be Singapore’s largest WTE plant once completed by 2025.
Mr Yeo said that a 6.3-hectare (approx. 15.6-acre) site in Tuas Avenue, which should be available in 2026 after NEA completes the demolition of the former Tuas incineration plant, could potentially be used for businesses that use or process captured carbon dioxide (CO2).
If the CO2 volumes exceed the potential needs for on-site industrial use, it could be transported to storage sites or carbon utilization businesses, Mr Yeo added.
However, Mr Vinod Kesava, co-founder and CEO of carbon management consultancy CRX CarbonBank, also quoted by The Straits Times, warned that given the location of Tuas Avenue potential higher costs related to the transportation of the liquefied CO2 can be expected.
By harnessing carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, the potential pilot study marks the start of Singapore’s efforts to decarbonize its waste management, Mr Yeo concluded.
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