Residents are being invited to have their say on carbon capture proposals at enfinium’s Parc Adfer energy from waste facility, with the plans set to help North Wales reach Net Zero by delivering carbon removals at scale and supporting the local economy.
Parc Adfer currently prevents up to 232,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste from entering climate-damaging landfill each year. Instead, this material is used to generate power, as well as recovering metals and other useful materials which help to support circularity in Wales. Preventing this waste from entering landfill already helps to reduce the impact this material would otherwise have on the climate. With the installation of carbon capture, Parc Adfer can do even more, by becoming a climate positive hub for North Wales.
Installing carbon capture would allow the facility to capture up to 95 per cent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by Parc Adfer each year. Around half of the unrecyclable waste generated in the region is made from organic material – such as paper, food waste, and cardboard – which has already naturally absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere. Installing carbon capture technology at Parc Adfer enables this CO2 to be permanently captured and stored rather than released back into the atmosphere, meaning the facility will be capable of removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it would emit. This could amount to 120,000 tonnes of CO2 every year being removed from the atmosphere, equivalent to taking up to 89,000 petrol cars off the road. Once captured, the carbon dioxide will be safely transported for permanent storage in depleted gas reservoirs.
Parc Adfer has played an important role in helping Wales effectively phase-out the routine use of climate damaging landfill for residual waste and makes a significant contribution to Wales’ world-leading recycling rates. The proposed carbon capture project would help continue this legacy, making Parc Adfer the largest carbon removals project in Wales and will support the Welsh Government’s ambition to have 100% zero carbon power by 2035.
In turn, this would help to decarbonise North Wales’ unrecyclable waste, while supporting economic growth, skills and employment in the local economy, generating jobs during the construction phase and supporting more into the future through the operation and maintenance of the plant.
Ahead of submitting a planning application to Flintshire County Council, enfinium will be holding a public consultation on these proposals from Monday 8 September to Monday 6 October. The consultation will provide an opportunity for local people to learn more about the project and share their feedback.
Mike Maudsley, Chief Executive Officer at enfinium, said: “We are looking forward to sharing our plans with the local community and showing them the important opportunity carbon capture represents, both for the environment and for the local economy in North Wales. We would encourage people join us at our in-person and online events to learn more about our proposals and ask us questions. We’re looking forward to sharing these exciting and ambitious plans so people can tell us what they think.”
The consultation event, taking place on Tuesday 16 September at 3pm – 8pm, will be a drop-in session, allowing visitors to attend at any time and stay for as long as they would like.
There will also be a further webinar held between 6pm to 7pm on Wednesday 24 September. You can register by visiting the project website here: www.parcadferccs.wales.
If you have any questions on enfinium’s plans for carbon capture at Parc Adfer, you can speak to a member of the team on 0800 138 9190 or email at contact@parcadferccs.wales.
ENDS
About Parc Adfer
Parc Adfer is an energy recovery facility in Deeside, Flintshire. Beginning operations in 2019, the facility was built to help process the unrecyclable waste of Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council, Flintshire County Council, Cyngor Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey County Council (who together make up the ‘North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Partnership’). enfinium operates the facility on behalf of these five local authorities through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), which is supported by the Welsh Government. The facility diverts up to 232,000 tonnes of unrecyclable waste away from landfill each year, producing enough energy to power more than 45,000 homes and businesses.
