Igneo Infrastructure Partners’ UK-based portfolio company enfinium not only impressed the independent panel of judges for the IJGlobal ESG Awards 2024, it is so interesting that it previously featured in one of our podcasts.

The IJGlobal ESG Awards 2024 judges were of one mind when it came to awarding the trophy to enfinium with one saying: “An £800 million commitment to achieve net zero – that is just world class.”

Another judge added: “Companies like enfinium – and the work that Igneo has put into making it amazing from an ESG perspective, never mind good business sense – deserve to be recognised with an award.”

enfinium – a leading British energy from waste (EfW) operator – in March (2024) released its Net Zero Transition Plan (NZTP), setting out how it will transform from an energy from waste business to a nationally significant carbon removals business.

By applying carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to its facilities, enfinium will be able to decarbonise its own operations by 2033 and deliver carbon removals at scale by 2039.

By capturing the carbon from processing biogenic waste – around 50% of the waste enfinium processes – enfinium will be able to deliver up to 1.2 million tonnes of carbon removals annually by 2039.

The submission states: “The NZTP also demonstrates how enfinium is developing plans to power electrolysers to produce homegrown hydrogen when electricity is not needed by the grid.

“This will help to reduce the UK’s reliance on natural gas and accelerate the decarbonisation of industry, transport and, in future, heating. With the right support mechanisms in place, energy from waste could be at the forefront of powering a world-leading UK hydrogen economy.”

The NZTP is broken down into short, medium, and long-term carbon targets, alongside key actions to achieve them. The plan is then modelled on a timeline to 2050.

To ensure the plan is robust and deliverable, enfinium has adopted a modelling approach that lets it review and scrutinise potential routes to net zero. This model forms the basis of the NZTP.

enfinium is already making progress to implement its NZTP, including a £200 million investment commitment to install CCS at its Parc Adfer site in North Wales, and a similar investment plan of up to £800 million at its Ferrybridge facilities in West Yorkshire.

The company has already invested in launching the UK’s first EfW carbon capture pilot at its Ferrybridge 1&2 facilities.

Other ongoing investments to decarbonise its operations include the installation of gale breakers at its Ferrybridge 1 site to significantly enhance the energy efficiency of its operations.