Resource management company Veolia and Sheffield City Council announce successful trial of ‘first of its kind’ carbon capture technology.
The trial at the Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) tested non-amine carbon capture technology as an alternative to traditional carbon capture systems in the UK waste sector.
Veolia says carbon capture technologies are a ‘complementary solution’ to be implemented alongside waste prevention, increased recycling, eco-design and other measures, rather than a standalone answer to climate change.
The trial tested new technology that captures CO₂ from the Sheffield ERF facility’s flue gases before they are released into the atmosphere, using a specially developed solvent that can then be regenerated and reused.
Veolia says the non-amine solvent originally discovered by researchers at the University of Leeds is currently capturing up to one tonne of carbon dioxide per day from the Sheffield facility’s flue gas.
The two-year trial aims to demonstrate the economic viability of scaling the technology to capture, store and utilise carbon from the waste management facility.
Veolia says the initial results of the trial, which is delivered in partnership with clean technology company C-Capture, are ‘promising’.
However, Veolia continued that the pilot also ‘reflects the current stage of carbon capture technologies’, and says the technology’s large-scale deployment will depend on the availability of supporting infrastructure, appropriate regulatory frameworks, viable business models and continued public investment.
The UK government has committed up to £21.7 billion in funding over 25 years to support the development of CCS, which it projects could add £5 billion annually to the UK economy by 2050.
Commenting on the trial, Donald Macphail, Chief Operating Officer – Treatment, Veolia UK, said: “Carbon capture is one of the tools available to help decarbonise residual emissions where they cannot yet be avoided.”
“However, achieving net zero also requires continued progress in waste prevention, recycling and circular economy solutions to reduce emissions at source. Technologies such as this are designed to complement – not replace – those priorities.”
The captured CO₂ will initially be released as part of the testing process, allowing engineers to assess the performance, safety and efficiency of the technology.
At this stage, Veolia says the trial’s objective is to validate how effectively the system captures CO₂ and how efficiently the solvent can be regenerated for repeated use.
Cllr Mark Rusling, Chair of Environmental Services and Regulation Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said the trial represents a ‘big step forward’ in the development of decarbonisation opportunities in Sheffield.
“This is the largest project of its kind in South Yorkshire, and we are proud to support innovation and new technology,” Rusling said.
“Every project like this makes a difference to reducing our carbon emissions, and this important work supports our aim to reduce our carbon emissions to net zero.”