Go ahead for UK’s first full-scale carbon capture facility

According to Encyclis, the confirmation of UK Government support for the Protos carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, Northwest England, is a breakthrough for the country’s industrial carbon capture deployment, which will advance the UK’s net zero transition and drive economic growth.

Flue gases from the Protos Energy-from-Waste facility, which is currently in commissioning, will be diverted to the new carbon capture plant, where a proven filtration process will be used to strip out the carbon dioxide (CO₂).

As part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster, the captured CO₂ will then be transported to Liverpool Bay for permanent sub-sea storage via a pipeline operated by ENI.

Kanadevia Inova selected as EPC

Encyclis has signed a final investment decision (FID) and instructed Kanadevia Inova to proceed to build the first full-scale carbon capture facility at a UK Waste-to-Energy plant.

With planning and environmental permitting permissions granted, the three-and-a-half-year construction and commissioning program will deliver this flagship project at Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.

After the successful implementation of Carbon Capture technology at two pilot projects at Ferrybridge and Rookery South, Kanadevia Inova is extremely proud to be designing and building this full-scale decarbonisation project for our long-term client, Encyclis at Protos Energy Recovery Facility, said Fabio Dinale, EVP of Business Development at Kanadevia Inova.

Amine scrubbing technology

Serving as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor, Kanadevia Inova will utilise its amine scrubbing technology to capture and collect around 370,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from one of the UK’s newest WtE facilities.

This major decarbonisation project will integrate cutting-edge technology into the operational plant to begin a new era of carbon capture in a growing UK market.

The two-line carbon capture facility will be sited immediately next to the WtE plant. It will capture a mixture of biogenic and fossil CO₂, which are released in the combustion of non-recyclable waste at Protos ERF.

Kanadevia Inova’s advanced technologies will reliably capture large quantities of CO₂ from the flue gas, which will be permanently and securely stored in depleted gas reservoirs under Liverpool Bay through the HyNet North West network.

This landmark project in the UK sits at the core of our global mission and vision, marking the beginning of a new era in delivering carbon capture solutions to growing markets in the UK and across the globe. Capturing carbon dioxide from industrial flue gas – a key component of many governments’ Net Zero strategies – this full-size plant will benefit current and future generations, Fabio Dinale said.

While WtE facilities are the most climate-friendly waste management option for treating non-recyclable materials, when combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, Protos ERF will become a negative emitter.

We are pleased to be partnering once again with Kanadevia Inova, this time to build and commission a landmark carbon capture plant. Harnessing Kanadevia Inova’s proven carbon capture technology, we are working to transform waste treatment in the UK, not only accelerating progress towards climate change targets but clearing a pathway for wider deployment. Encyclis is already a leader in the safe and efficient recovery of resources from residual waste, and this development unlocks opportunities for further growth, said Mark Burrows-Smith, CEO of Encyclis.

Kanadevia Inova’s project execution team will shortly commence construction works on the new carbon capture facility.

After the three-and-a-half-year build, encompassing substantial integration works and the plant’s commissioning phases, this groundbreaking facility is scheduled to be handed over to Encyclis in mid-2029.