Since January, there have been attempts made to capture carbon dioxide from burning rubbish. In Oslo’s Klemetsrud incinerator household waste is burned and it is hoped this experiment will show a way to be successful and keep down costs. With 200 countries now agreeing to try to limit climate change, new programmes are expected. Klemtsrud already heats buildings all around the city and the aim is to use all waste that cannot be used elsewhere according to Johnny Stuen.
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The intention is for 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year to be collected and so far there is a daily collection of 2 and a half tonnes. Espen Jorgensen, who is the site manager at Aker Solutions, says that there are restrictions on the unit preventing the figure from rising, but hopes are that this will change shortly. With luck and if the process is proved to be successful, by 2020 a plant could be built that would allow carbon dioxide to be stored below the bed of the North Sea and used to create pressure when injected into gas fields, and this will lead to increased production.
Costs are not being quoted at present and the end hope is that if the project is successful, there will be harmful emissions. If this happens, Aker Solutions will take the technology around the world as there are at present 700 waste to energy sites globally with 450 of them based in Europe.
