Waste-to-Energy with Carbon Capture: A Game-Changer for Carbon Removal

A Bold Step Toward Sustainable Energy

The push for effective carbon removal solutions has taken a significant leap forward with a new study by Isometric. In collaboration with the Coalition for Negative Emissions, the report highlights how waste-to-energy (WTE) plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology can become major players in carbon removal efforts.

Waste-to-energy facilities convert non-recyclable waste into usable electricity and heat. By integrating CCS technology, these plants can capture and permanently store the resulting carbon dioxide emissions, ensuring that greenhouse gases do not enter the atmosphere.

"This approach could provide substantial, long-lasting carbon removal," the study notes. With many WTE plants already operational, expanding their capabilities through CCS presents a scalable solution.

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How Waste-to-Energy Can Drive Carbon Removal

The concept behind waste-to-energy isn’t new, but pairing it with carbon capture and storage makes it a potential game-changer. One of the biggest advantages is the capture of biogenic carbon dioxide, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere through natural decomposition.

With waste incineration already generating electricity and heat, adding carbon sequestration to the process creates an opportunity to produce high-quality carbon removal credits while reducing emissions. This makes WTE with CCS a dual-benefit approach—producing energy while helping to meet carbon removal targets.

Overcoming Key Challenges

While the benefits are clear, the report from Isometric outlines several challenges that need to be addressed for WTE plants to successfully generate credible carbon removal credits.

Measuring and Verifying Carbon Removal

To ensure accuracy, a robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system is essential. Some of the key MRV challenges include:

• Accurately measuring stored CO2, especially when transport and storage systems are shared, making traditional measurement difficult.
  
• Establishing a baseline for biogenic feedstock carbon storage, considering existing UK waste management regulations.
  
• Fairly allocating greenhouse gas emissions between biogenic and fossil-derived CO2 to comply with Emissions Trading Scheme rules.
  

Addressing Sustainability and Market Factors

Beyond measurement, WTE plants must also ensure that they operate sustainably and economically. The report emphasizes:

• Minimizing carbon leakage and properly accounting for potential emissions.
  
• Sourcing sustainable feedstock while aligning with current waste management payment systems.
  
• Meeting financial additionality criteria, ensuring economic feasibility through market incentives like government support schemes and gate fees.
  

A Future Built on Waste-to-Energy with CCS

With these considerations in mind, Isometric’s study ultimately presents waste-to-energy with CCS as a promising and scalable solution. The report concludes that with a well-defined MRV framework, these facilities can generate credible carbon removal offsets, supporting climate targets and energy demands simultaneously.

"Waste-to-energy with CCS offers a promising pathway for generating high-quality, durable carbon dioxide removal credits," the report states.

As discussions around carbon neutrality and negative emissions intensify, this innovative combination of waste management and carbon capture could play a pivotal role in the global carbon removal strategy.