Dutch waste sector and greenhouse growers present CO₂ reuse project at CEWEP Congress

CEWEP, the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants, held its ninth Congress on 21 and 22 September in Bilbao, Spain. LTO Glaskracht Nederland (the Dutch greenhouse horticulture industry organisation) and the Dutch Waste Management Association (DWMA) presented their unique joint project for CO₂ capture and reuse. The waste sector will supply greenhouse growers with CO₂, which they use to stimulate crop growth. This will make the growers less dependent on fossil gas and enable them to green their production processes; the Dutch waste sector will increase its contribution to climate targets.

Waste industry provides sustainable CO₂ to greenhouse growers

Capturing CO₂ from waste treatment processes and using it in greenhouse horticulture is a unique and costeffective way to reduce carbon emissions in the short term and contribute towards a sustainable society. Many of the Dutch waste-to-energy plants are located near greenhouse complexes and will eventually be able to supply up to 4 megatonnes of CO₂ per year, mostly of biogenic origin. The greenhouse horticulture sector can use 2 megatonnes of this CO₂, vastly reducing their consumption of fossil gas. In time it can become entirely climate neutral. One of the challenges is putting together a sound financial business case, which will require a government incentive package. In future, this CO₂ can be supplied to other users as well.

CEWEP Congress

The CEWEP Congress was attended by the European industry, decision-makers and academia, who gathered in the surroundings of the famous Guggenheim museum in Bilbao to discuss the latest waste-to-energy policy and technology developments. The participants also had the opportunity to visit the Zabalgarbi waste-to-energy plant which, thanks to its innovative design, achieves very high energy efficiency levels.