Ørsted plans to generate CCS at its Asnæs biomass power plant, which is fuelled by wood chips in Kalundborg in western Zealand, and at the straw boiler of the Avedøre power plant in the Greater Copenhagen area.
Thus, the technology and logistics for handling and storing carbon from the two CHP plants are already in place. With this, if financial support is obtained from the current tender to capture and store carbon, Ørsted can reach 400,000 metric tons of carbon by 2025. Target in line with the political agreement on carbon capture and storage (CCS).
“With carbon capture at the Asnæs and Avedøre CHP plants, we will be able to capture 400,000 metric tons of carbon from 2025, which can be stored in the North Sea. This will make a significant contribution to achieving the politically decided climate target for 2025,” says Ole Thomsen, senior vice president at Ørsted.
Construction of carbon centers
The two biomass CHP plants are connected to the grid and the district heating system and have their own ports. Thus, the plants serve as hubs for handling and transporting carbon and green fuels.
In addition, Ørsted’s cogeneration centers would serve for capturing carbon produced by external agents. In Kalundborg, Ørsted is in dialogue with, among others, the Kalundborg refinery about the possibility of capturing carbon from the oil refinery and sending it to the Asnæs power plant, before transporting it for storage.
“Our carbon capture plans are based on our newest CHP plants which will be in operation for many years to come, and which run on sustainable straw and wood chips. The CHP plants are uniquely placed, as they have access to all the components which are needed for either capturing and shipping carbon or for using the carbon to produce green fuels, which can then be shipped from the CHP plants’ own harbors.” says Thomsen.
Switching to mainly Danish biomass
Ørsted’s carbon capture plans focus on the newer CHP plants, which are fueled by sustainable straw and wood chips. In the future, the company estimates that it will be possible to meet the need for sustainable biomass for CHP plants. Specifically, this will involve straw and wood chips from Denmark and the countries surrounding the Baltic region.
For its part, Ørsted has decided to reduce the use of imported wood chips from 2030, when the wood chip boilers will reach the end of their useful life. Consequently, the process of increasing the proportion of Danish wood chips has begun. It will be from 2030, when the company will come to use Danish biomass as fuel for its boilers.
Despite the progress and increasing electrification of heat generation, Denmark will still need a certain amount of sustainable biomass. Therefore, the country will require a sustainable biomass supply chain.
“We will continue to source only certified wood chips from production forests that supply materials for the wood and furniture industries because we have to make sure that our demand for Danish wood chips does not lead to a decrease in Danish forests or have a negative impact on forest biodiversity,” says Thomsen.
He adds that although foreign pellets and wood chips are climate-friendly energy sources, it is more optimal to use biomass from areas close to the supply chain to reduce the need for transportation.
Source: Biomass Magazine (2022)