Dutch EfW Plant To Capture CO2 For Horticultural Greenhouses

AVR will be the first waste-to-energy (EfW) company in the Netherlands to construct a large-scale CO₂ capture system that will supply greenhouse horticulture areas.

The CO₂, released at AVR after the incineration of residual waste serves as an important raw material for the growth of crops as an alternative to CO₂ from natural gas, the company says.

This installation should be operational next year and will contribute directly to the CO₂ reduction in the Netherlands and in reaching its climate targets, AVR says.

The construction of the CO₂ capture plant in 2019 means that 60 Kton CO₂ is expected to be captured and recycled. This is 15% of the total CO₂ emissions in the plant’s location of Driven.

Michiel Timmerije – “We are researching the possibilities of building a similar CO₂ capture installation at our location in Rozenburg (Port of Rotterdam). We aim for the capture and application of 800,000 tons of CO₂ annually.”

The CO₂ to be captured by AVR will be transported by Air Liquide to greenhouse horticulture areas in the Netherlands. There CO₂ needed to stimulate the growth of vegetables, soft fruit, flowers and plants.

Especially in the summer, horticulturists  have the need for a substantial amount of CO₂ in order to grow their crops. Should AVR find an additional customer during in the winter months, the total CO₂ captured may rise to a maximum of 100 kton, it says.

Michiel Timmerije, director of energy & residues at AVR: “After a lot of effort and development this first installation is for AVR a test case that should result in making capture installations more efficient in the future and will help to utilise residual waste for a 100%.

“We are researching the possibilities of building a similar CO₂ capture installation at our location in Rozenburg (Port of Rotterdam). We aim for the capture and application of 800,000 tons of CO₂ annually.

“To achieve this we don’t only look at greenhouse horticulture, but also at the sustainable applications of CO₂for example in building materials such as concrete, basic chemistry for plastics and biofuels. We can use all the support and help from the government, politics, but also from the business community and startups.”