E.ON and Amager Resource Center (ARC) have officially signed a partnership agreement to launch CopenCapture, a groundbreaking carbon capture and storage (CCS) project based at CopenHill, Copenhagen’s landmark waste-to-energy facility. The project will trap 400,000 tons of CO2 per year and sequester it in the ground to avoid its emission into the air.
The partners signed the agreement at the top of CopenHill’s famous chimney, representing their mutual vision to make the plant an international demonstration facility for CCS technologies.
Prequalification for Danish CCS Tender Underway
The new alliance also marks E.ON’s entry into the Danish Energy Agency’s CCS tender process, which requires full-scale carbon capture by 2030. The project’s execution depends on receiving financial backing through Denmark’s CCS funding program.
If successful, CopenCapture could become a model for how waste-to-energy (WtE) plants across Europe and beyond can align with climate targets while continuing to play a critical role in waste management and local energy production.
Marten Bunnemann, CEO of E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions, said, “Electrification can reduce many types of CO2 emissions. However, we do not yet have the technologies to eliminate the need for environmentally responsible treatment of residual waste that cannot be reused or recycled.”
He added, “Utilizing residual waste to generate local heat and electricity for communities and businesses is the best available solution. However, waste-to-energy (WtE) still faces a challenge: CO₂ emissions from the process.”
Also read: Denmark’s First Full-Scale CO2 Storage Facility Receives Investment Decision
Turning Residual Waste into Negative Emissions
Much of the CO2 emitted at CopenHill comes from burning organic waste like contaminated paper and cardboard. Since this type of CO2 is classified as biogenic, its capture leads to negative emissions, permanently removing naturally occurring carbon from the atmosphere.
The initiative will monetize these negative emissions as high-quality Carbon Removal Credits (CRCs) and sell them on the voluntary carbon credit market. Companies can purchase these credits to offset emissions or contribute to their climate goals.
