– It is invigorating and means a lot that the interest in our bio-CCS investment extends well beyond Sweden’s borders. This shows that what we are doing is seriously important in the counteraction of global climate change and that the market is willing to contribute for this project to get implemented, says Erik Rylander, Head of Carbon Dioxide Removal at Stockholm Exergi.
Stockholm Exergi has noticed the increased international interest in many different ways: the company gets asked to participate in international seminars, meetings and talks and more foreign media outlets are curious about its operations. Perhaps the clearest sign is the increased number of requests to visit the BECCS research facility that Stockholm Exergi has operated since 2019. During the first six months of 2022 alone, Stockholm Exergi hosted over 20 international visits from, for example, the United States of America, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Latvia and Lithuania.
– We also had a celebratory visit on April 7 from EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, who were shown around Värtaverket, says Erik Rylander.
The EU Innovation Fund recently decided to support Stockholm Exergi’s BECCS project with 180 million Euros and Erik Rylander believes that the decision has clearly contributed to the international awareness. In connection with that announcement, a signing ceremony was held on April 1 in Stockholm with, among others, the European Commission’s Vice President Frans Timmermans and Sweden’s Minister of Trade and Industry Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson participating in person.
– International attention is very important to us because it contributes to the general understanding that negative emissions are necessary if we are to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Companies and businesses can also see how they can support this important investment and at the same time accelerate their journey towards their own environmental goals by acquiring so-called Carbon Removal Certificates, or CRC’s. Revenue from CRC sales is a prerequisite for us to be able to finance our investment in a full-scale BECCS facility, says Erik Rylander.
ABOUT STOCKHOLM EXERGI’S BECCS PROJECT “BECCS STOCKHOLM”
Stockholm Exergi is financing and building a full-scale BECCS facility at its biomass-powered combined heat and power plant KVV8 in Stockholm. The BECCS facility will have a capture capacity of 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. To secure the entire value chain, agreements must be signed for transport and permanent storage of captured carbon dioxide. These negotiations are ongoing and will be an important part of the preparations for the project’s investment decision planned for 2023. Following the decision, it is estimated that it will take approximately three years to build the facility. Follow Beccs Stockholm on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest project news and developments.
