enfinium plans to decarbonise UK’s largest EfW, Ferrybridge 1 and 2, energy-from-waste (EfW) plants using carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The Ferrybridge 1 and 2 facilities in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, are considered the largest energy from waste sites in the UK, transforming over 1.4 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste into enough home grown energy to power around 350,000 homes every year.
“This designation is an important step in realising our ambition to turn Ferrybridge into one of Europe’s biggest carbon removal projects,” said Mike Maudsley, CEO of enfinium.
The confirmation from the UK Government on 20th February – known as a Section 35 direction – is an important step in the planning and consenting programme for CCS at Ferrybridge, the company said. With statutory consultation due to take place later this year ahead of the submission of an application for Development Consent to the Planning Inspectorate in late 2025.
The Direction from the Secretary of State notes that the proposal “would provide and support the decarbonisation of the largest energy from waste site in the UK, with the potential to deliver over a million tonnes of CO2 savings per annum, equating to 6.5% of the government’s annual carbon capture and storage ambition,” explained enfinium.
“Carbon capture at Ferrybridge will deliver jobs in the green economy, decarbonise unrecyclable waste produced across the North of England and support West Yorkshire’s plans to have a Net Zero economy by 2038,” added Maudsley.
enfinium has previously announced an ambition to lead an investment of up to £800 million over the project lifecycle in CCS at Ferrybridge, the company said in the statement.
Once operational, the technology would capture around 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year, including over 600,000 tonnes of durable, high-quality carbon removals – equivalent to taking the carbon emissions of every household in Manchester out of the atmosphere.
