Ferrybridge 1 began operating in 2015, contributing to a three-quarter reduction in overall emissions from the UK waste sector.
The facility, one of two at the West Yorkshire site operated by enfinium, has now prevented 2,250,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions from escaping into the atmosphere.
This is the equivalent to 7.2million passengers flying from London to New York, the world’s busiest long haul route. The figure is more than double the number of people who travelled between JFK and Heathrow airports in 2023.
Energy from waste facilities result in around half the emissions per tonne of taste when compared with landfill, and have so far helped bring down emissions from the waste sector by 74% compared with 1990 levels.
‘Preventing over 2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions at our Ferrybridge 1 facility demonstrates the crucial role energy from waste continues to play in decarbonising the UK’s waste,’ said Mike Maudsley, CEO of enfinium.
‘By offering a more sustainable alternative to landfill for treating the nation’s unrecyclable waste, we are reducing emissions and playing our part in supporting a circular economy,’ he continued. ‘I am immensely proud of Ferrybridge 1’s role in delivering decarbonisation powered by waste for the UK, and am grateful to all of the team at Ferrybridge whose hard work have helped us reach this milestone.’
Earlier this year, enfinium reported that Ferrybridge 1 was now capturing one tonne of CO2 per day, further contributing towards emissions reductions. This is a pilot scheme, running until September next year, which will inform the rollout of scaled up technologies across other sites and facilities in the UK.
More on energy: