Consultation to Commence for Carbon Capture Facility at Incinerator Site

A public consultation regarding the construction of a new carbon capture facility adjacent to an operational incinerator is scheduled to commence this month. Encyclis, previously known as Covanta, intends to develop this facility at the Rookery South pit, located in Stewartby, Bedfordshire. The incinerator, which commenced operations in January 2022, faced significant opposition from local residents and the advocacy organization, Bedfordshire Against Covanta Incinerator. Encyclis stated its commitment to addressing climate change, characterizing the proposed development as a crucial stride in its journey towards achieving net-zero emissions. The company further articulated that the facility’s purpose is to capture carbon dioxide emissions generated during waste treatment processes. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, these captured emissions would subsequently be transported to a carbon capture and storage core network pipeline, a system put forward by the National Infrastructure Commission. On its official website, the company provided the following explanation: “Rookery South Limited is seeking to build a new carbon capture facility on land adjoining our current Rookery South energy recovery unit at Stewartby.” It added, “Building our proposed carbon capture structure is an important step towards our transition to net zero.” The company also stated its ambition to “make all our operating processes 100% circular by 2030, so that every possible resource is recovered from the residual waste we receive. Carbon capture is designed to prevent carbon dioxide from industrial processes being released into the atmosphere.” Public consultation sessions concerning the plans for this extensive complex are slated to occur at the incinerator visitors’ centre on Thursday, 21 November, and Saturday, 23 November. The feedback gathered from these sessions will contribute to the final design, and the company indicated its intention to file a planning application early in the upcoming year.