CCS is crucial for climate goals and district heating. Helsingborg has high climate ambitions and aims to become climate-neutral by 2030. Achieving this requires new solutions – and one of the most important is CCS at the Filborna plant. But what exactly is CCS, and why does it play such a key role in Helsingborg’s climate and district heating?
What is CCS?
CCS stands for Carbon Capture and Storage. At the Filborna plant, residual waste – garbage that cannot be recycled – is incinerated to produce district heating and electricity for Helsingborg’s residents and businesses. But when we burn waste, carbon dioxide is released into the air.
A CCS solution at Filborna would allow us to capture that CO₂ before it is emitted, then transport and store it deep underground, where it turns to stone and stays permanently. In this way, we can significantly reduce emissions and help combat climate change.
What’s the difference between fossil and biogenic carbon dioxide?
Not all carbon emissions are the same. At the Filborna plant, we emit two types of CO₂:
- Fossil carbon dioxide – Comes from plastics and other materials made from oil. Burning plastic adds new CO₂ to the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
- Biogenic carbon dioxide – Comes from paper, wood, and other organic materials. This type of CO₂ is already part of the natural carbon cycle – plants absorb CO₂ as they grow and rerelease it when they decompose or are burned.
So what does this mean in practice?
Fossil CO₂ increases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. But when we capture and store biogenic CO₂, we remove existing carbon from the air.
Put simply: capturing fossil CO₂ reduces emissions; capturing biogenic CO₂ removes carbon from the atmosphere.
Less carbon in the air through negative emissions
By capturing and storing biogenic CO₂ from sources like paper and wood, we prevent it from re-entering the carbon cycle, reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This process is known as negative emissions, and it’s a positive step for the climate.
CCS at Filborna – reducing emissions and removing carbon
The Filborna plant emits around 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year – about half fossil, half biogenic. With CCS, we can:
- Reduce emissions by capturing fossil CO₂ before it enters the atmosphere.
- Remove CO₂ from the air by storing biogenic CO₂, creating what we call negative emissions.
This would significantly reduce Helsingborg’s climate footprint while ensuring that district heating remains a sustainable and affordable energy source.
CCS is vital for the future of district heating
The EU requires the Filborna plant to be climate-neutral by 2039. And it’s not just Filborna – companies and industries across the EU must adapt to these regulations.
In addition, emission allowances are becoming more expensive and more limited each year. This means that emitting CO₂ will become increasingly costly until 2039 when allowances are phased out completely. Without CCS, we would have to rebuild the entire plant to run solely on biofuels – a much more expensive solution that would significantly increase the cost of district heating.
With CCS, we can instead:
- Keep the current system and eliminate fossil emissions.
- Keep district heating affordable for residents and businesses.
- Help companies reduce their emissions through climate-neutral waste incineration.
How companies can use CCS to reach their climate goals
Companies and organizations that send plastic waste to us can be confident that it’s handled without adding new emissions. They can also purchase negative emissions, which means we remove carbon from the atmosphere on their behalf. This helps them offset emissions they can’t eliminate themselves and move closer to their climate targets.
Summary – Why CCS matters for Helsingborg
- CCS at the Filborna plant captures carbon dioxide before it’s released into the air.
- With CCS, Helsingborg can both reduce emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
- Emitting CO₂ is becoming more expensive due to shrinking EU emission allowances, which will be phased out by 2039.
- CCS enables district heating to remain a sustainable and cost-effective solution.
- Companies can use CCS and negative emissions to reduce their climate impact and meet sustainability goals.
In short – CCS is a key piece of the puzzle for a climate-neutral Helsingborg by 2030 and a sustainable future.
