CO2 as a raw material
Capturing and storing or reusing CO2 in sustainable carbon cycles is of great importance in the efforts to stop global warming. Twence is investing in facilities that will enable CO2 to be recycled as a sustainable raw material.
Capturing and reusing CO2
Since the Paris climate agreement, the Netherlands has set far-reaching CO2 climate targets. By 2030, CO2 emissions must be reduced by 49%, and by as much as 95% by 2050. Waste incineration also emits CO2. Twence is taking measures to reduce CO2 emissions. Back in 2014, we introduced the world's first plant to capture CO2 from the waste-to-energy plant. We convert this CO2 into sodium bicarbonate, which we use to clean flue gases. We have also been supplying liquid CO2 since 2020 as a fertiliser for greenhouse horticulture (so that less natural gas is used there) and as an ingredient for making dry ice. Our ambition is to build a large-scale carbon capture plant. This will enable us to capture and reuse 100,000 metric tonnes of CO2 annually from the flue gases of the waste-to-energy plant.
Contributing to the reduction of CO2
The national and regional climate targets set for 2030 seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared to 1990. The challenge for the waste-to-energy sector is clear: reduce CO2 emissions by two million metric tonnes by 2030. In the long term, the combination of capture and sustainable recycling - so that it contributes to reducing the use of fossil fuels - offers a structural solution for reducing CO2 emissions from fossil sources in the Netherlands. By doing this, Twence is taking an important step towards making its industry more sustainable and towards the development of a circular economy.
How does CO2 capture work in practice?
Flue gases are released during the incineration process at the Waste-to-Energy Plant. CO2 is then captured from the cleaned flue gases. This is achieved because CO2 binds to a solvent which is then heated so that the CO2 is released as a pure gas, which is then captured and dried by cooling the gas. The CO2 is subsequently compressed: this liquefies the CO2 by pressurising and cooling it at the same time. The liquid CO2 is stored and sold for use in greenhouse horticulture and for the production of dry ice. Together with our partners, we are researching the potential for using CO2 for other high-grade applications, such as in building materials like limestone, cement substitutes and basic chemicals. We want to sell these raw materials in the future to the foodstuffs industry, the construction sector, the chemical industry and to buyers of sustainable fuels. We are jointly contributing to the climate targets this way. Read more about this at our innovations.
How is CO2 from residual waste used in the greenhouse horticulture sector?
How is CO2 from residual waste used in the greenhouse horticulture sector?
Results
CO2 for numerous applications
CO2 is suitable for a wide range of applications. For example, as a fertiliser in greenhouse horticulture, as an aid in construction, as a raw material for sustainable energy, and as a coolant in the foodstuffs industry.
Innovation power
We keep on innovating. We are exploring the opportunities for producing formic acid from CO2. Formic acid can in fact be used as an integral energy carrier, for example for the transportation of hydrogen and for the storage of electrical energy. Further research is needed to map out the feasibility of upscaling to applications for formic acid in the energy, transport and chemical sectors.
Our first CO2 capture even won an international innovation award! We received this award in 2018 from the Confederation of European Wste-to Energy Plants (CEWEP).
Jeffrey Martinec, product manager TwenceContact us
Any questions or comments?
Do you have any questions about the capture of CO2? Or would you like more information about buying our CO2? We'd love to hear what's on your mind. Please fill in the form and we will get in touch with you.
Jeffrey Martinec
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