Bodens Energi has initiated a feasibility study to investigate possible technology for carbon dioxide capture at the CHP plant in Boden. The goal is to eventually capture 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
It is thanks to a grant from the Swedish Energy Agency’s climate initiative Industriklivet that Boden’s Energy was able to start the feasibility study. It will investigate which technology would be most suitable for establishing a full-scale plant for the capture of carbon dioxide at the CHP plant in Boden. The aim is to reduce the climate impact in the long term by achieving approximately 100,000 tonnes of negative CO2 emissions per year.
– As an energy company, we have a social responsibility that includes environmental and sustainability responsibility. We now need knowledge about how carbon dioxide can be captured and then temporarily stored and finalized to contribute to reduced amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The feasibility study will guide us in whether it is possible to do so in a way that is financially sustainable, says the initiator Hans Stålnacke, CEO of Boden’s Energy.
Net zero and negative emissions
Boden’s energy burns waste to create electricity and heat, and as a by-product, carbon dioxide is created. To contribute to the global transition, they are now investigating whether it is possible to separate the carbon dioxide from the boiler’s flue gases and how the carbon dioxide can be disposed of so as not to end up in the atmosphere.
Boden Energy hopes to be able to contribute to net-zero emissions for the fossil part of the waste incineration and to generate negative emissions from the waste that is of biogenic origin. Bodens Energi currently burns very small amounts of fossil fuels, but since the company disposes of waste, it may contain materials of fossil origin that can not be utilized in any other way than through energy recovery. The largest share of the energy extracted from the waste is renewable.
Examines conditions, logistics and risks
The technology is available and used at other facilities today, but with some variations. Part of the feasibility study therefore involves reviewing how these facilities differ in terms of conditions and which solution would be suitable in Boden.
What needs to be investigated further are, among other things, flue gas properties, access to energy, available surfaces and operating conditions. The feasibility study also includes finding collaboration opportunities and alternatives to a sustainable business model that is in line with Boden Energi’s long-term strategy and goals. The feasibility study will also identify possible logistics and transport solutions for the carbon dioxide and include risk analyzes and cost calculations for the entire logistics chain, from separation to final storage.
Results in February 2022
The feasibility study is project-led by Sigholm , consultants in the energy industry and specifically district heating and Captimise , consultants in CCS technology. The project will be completed in February 2022 and then the feasibility study will show which separation technology is best suited for Boden’s energy CHP plant, based on the conditions that exist here. Bodens Energi’s CHP plant differs from other plants in similar Swedish feasibility studies, both in that carbon dioxide emissions are relatively small and in that there are long distances to possible collaborators in the area and to known locations for carbon dioxide storage.
If it turns out that carbon dioxide capture, so-called CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), is realistically feasible, it is estimated that the project will eventually be able to lead to approximately 100,000 tonnes of biogenic carbon dioxide being separated and stored each year.
This is how technology works
CCS is a vital part of climate change and the global energy system. It is a technology and means that carbon dioxide is captured from the boiler’s flue gases and converted into liquid form and then stored in designated places under the seabed where it does not cause damage.
- The carbon dioxide is captured and separated from other flue gases. This is done with the help of chemical reactions or membranes.
- The carbon dioxide then needs to be compressed to reduce the volume. This is done with the help of a strong pressurization. The carbon dioxide can then be transported to a storage site via train, ship or pipe.
- In the last stage, the compressed carbon dioxide is pumped into the bedrock or under the seabed for permanent storage. Today, there are different geographical alternatives that you look at, but this mainly applies to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Illustration of the entire Boden Energy energy recovery.
