Energy-from-waste operator enfinium has published a detailed plan to decarbonise its operations and deliver carbon removals at scale to help the UK achieve its net-zero-by-2050 target. Backed by an investment programme of £1.7 billion (US$2.13 billion), enfinium set out a pathway to achieve net zero across its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2033 – well ahead of the waste industry’s 2040 target. By installing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology across its UK sites, the company said it would generate “hundreds of thousands of tonnes” of durable carbon removals from 2030 onwards – and 1.2 million tonnes per year by 2039. In addition to delivering carbon removals through CCS, enfinium will support local communities to achieve net zero through the development of heat networks, the production of electrolytic hydrogen, and the direct supply of carbon-negative electricity via private wires. “Around half of the UK’s unrecyclable waste is made up of biogenic content – organic material such as food waste, plants and soiled paper or card – which has already naturally absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere,” enfinium said. “Installing CCS technology will enable this CO2 to be permanently captured and stored, rather than released back into the atmosphere, resulting in a net-carbon removal.” According to government figures, the UK currently generates around 27 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste every year. Meanwhile, BloombergNEF estimates that the voluntary carbon market could be valued at over US$1.1 trillion annually by 2050, with the energy-from-waste sector having the potential to become one of largest sources of negative emissions. “Carbon removals is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the waste sector globally,” said enfinium CEO Mike Maudsley. Enfinium’s net zero transition plan has been independently verified by engineering consultancy Arup.
