Westenergy refines waste into district heat, electricity and recovered materials.
According to the environmental impact statement (EIS), the most significant positive impacts of the project EnergySampo CCU affecting climate are capturing the CO2 emissions of the waste-to-energy plant and the production of clean fuel, district heat, and green hydrogen. The ELY Centre in South Ostrobothnia has published a conclusion about the environmental impact statement and considers the EnergySampo CCU to have a significant positive impact on the environment.
The positive impacts related to the use of natural resources also support the positive climate impacts. According to the coordinating authority, it is unlikely that the project would have negative impacts on the environment. The impacts that are caused during construction are considered more significant than those taking place during operation, but the impacts caused by building and demolition are reasonably short-term, predictable, and it is also possible to reduce those impacts. The project will cause a slight increase in the noise level and to the amount of rain and melt water which will cause more environmental stress to the nearby conservation area but these impacts are considered to remain reasonable.
The aim of the EnergySampo CCU project is to build a production unit to Westenergy’s waste-to-energy plant that would produce liquified synthetic methane, LSNG. In the production process, carbon dioxide is captured from the flue gases of the waste-to-energy plant. The captured carbon dioxide will then be combined with hydrogen produced with wind power, which creates gaseous synthetic methane. Finally, the gaseous methane will be liquified which creates carbon-neutral fuel for heavy traffic and sea traffic.
The conclusion of the coordinating authority is available in full at ymparisto.fi.
More information about EnergySampo CCU can be found in the Corporate Responsibility section of Westenergy’s annual report.