enfinium, a leading UK energy from waste operator, today confirms that its Ferrybridge 1 energy from waste facility has reached a milestone in diverting 6 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste from landfill. In doing so, Ferrybridge 1’s operations have prevented approximately 2,250,000 tonnes of CO₂e from entering the atmosphere.
Ferrybridge 1, operational since 2015, is based in West Yorkshire. Ferrybridge 1 together with sister Ferrybridge 2 facility makes up the largest energy from waste facility in the UK. Ferrybridge 1 has played a significant role in managing the region’s unrecyclable waste, providing a more sustainable alternative to landfill, transforming waste into homegrown energy, and supporting the region’s decarbonisation goals.
Energy from waste facilities produce around half the emissions per tonne of waste compared to the emissions emitted per tonne of waste in landfill.1 The emissions avoided by Ferrybridge 1 since it began operations are the equivalent of 7,258,064 passengers flying from London to New York.2
The energy from waste sector has delivered significant emissions savings as it increasingly displaces landfill from the UK’s waste system. Since 1990, the uptake of energy from waste has helped bring the emissions from the waste sector down by 74%.3
Mike Maudsley, CEO of enfinium, said: “Preventing over 2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions at our Ferrybridge 1 facility demonstrates the crucial role energy from waste continues to play in decarbonising the UK’s waste. By offering a more sustainable alternative to landfill for treating the nation’s unrecyclable waste, we are reducing emissions and playing our part in supporting a circular economy. I am immensely proud of Ferrybridge 1’s role in delivering decarbonisation powered by waste for the UK, and am grateful to all of the team at Ferrybridge whose hard work have helped us reach this milestone.”
ENDS
Notes to editor
Statistical information
1 Fichter Consulting Engineers Limted’s Response to Zero Waste Scotland Climate Change Report, Fichtner Consulting Engineers Limited, April 2021, available here: https://brandfolder.com/s/mp2pcf2v59kmn4xcqm463b3h
2 ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator (ICEC), International Civil Aviation Organization, December 2024, available here: https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Carbonoffset/Pages/default.aspx
3 ‘2022 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Final Figures’, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, February 2024, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65c0d15863a23d0013c821e9/2022-final-greenhouse-gas-emissions-statistical-release.pdf
About enfinium
enfinium is a leading UK energy from waste operator with four operational sites in the UK, in West Yorkshire, Kent and Flintshire, and two in construction. enfinium diverts 2.3 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste from climate-damaging landfill, putting it to good use by turning it into home grown energy, enough to power 500,000 UK homes. enfinium’s ambition is to transform its facilities into local ‘decarbonisation hubs’ powered by the millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste the UK will produce for decades to come. Using existing energy from waste infrastructure, enfinium could contribute to heat networks, produce electrolytic hydrogen, or use carbon capture technology to provide durable, high quality carbon removals which will be critical for the UK to achieve net zero by 2050. For more on enfinium, please visit www.enfinium.co.uk.
