Microsoft Inc. Agrees on Carbon Capture: 3 Million Tonnes of CO2 Removal from Waste-to-Energy Project
In a significant move towards sustainable energy, Denmark's largest waste and energy company, Vestforbrænding, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have announced the Gaia project, a joint venture aimed at retrofitting Vestforbrænding's waste-to-energy (EfW) facility in Glostrup, Denmark, with carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities.
The latest development in this project is a long-term offtake agreement with tech giant Microsoft, committing the Gaia project to deliver nearly 3 million tonnes of carbon removal credits starting from 2029. This agreement marks one of the first multi-year offtake agreements for carbon removal credits generated from a waste-to-energy CCS retrofit.
The Gaia project's primary objectives include capturing and permanently removing CO2 generated by waste incineration, supporting Denmark’s ambitions for deep decarbonization at the municipal level. The project also aims to unlock more carbon-free energy by retrofitting an existing EfW facility while ensuring compliance with the EU Waste Framework Directive that prioritizes waste prevention and recycling.
Moreover, the Gaia project will expand district heating capacity, supplying heat to over 10,000 local homes by efficiently using energy generated from waste. The project will utilise industrial-scale amine technology to capture more than 95% of CO2 from flue gas.
Steen Neuchs Vedel, CEO of Vestforbrænding, stated that the offtake agreement with Microsoft is a defining milestone for the Gaia project. The agreement validates the technical and commercial maturity of Vestforbrænding and CIP's partnership and signals a potential long-term relationship between the parties.
Microsoft's involvement in the Gaia project further solidifies its position as the largest corporate buyer of carbon removal credits globally. In the past month, Microsoft has announced two other multi-million-ton carbon removal deals, demonstrating its commitment to reducing carbon emissions and achieving its sustainability goals.
The Gaia project, named after the Greek goddess of the Earth, embodies the partnership's shared vision of creating a more sustainable future. The Carbon Removal Units (CRUs) generated from the project will represent the biogenic portion, contributing to Microsoft's broader carbon removal efforts.
In essence, the Gaia project leverages innovative carbon capture technology at a waste-to-energy facility to generate permanent carbon removal credits, which Microsoft has secured via a multi-million-ton agreement. This collaboration between CIP, through its Energy Transition Fund, and Microsoft, demonstrates the growing role of private sector partnerships in driving sustainable energy solutions.
- The Gaia project, a joint venture between Vestforbrænding and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), is utilizing industrial-scale amine technology to capture over 95% of CO2 from flue gas, aiming to support Denmark’s ambitions for deep decarbonization at the municipal level and contribute to the energy transition.
- The Gaia project, by retrofitting an existing waste-to-energy facility, aims to unlock more carbon-free energy, expand district heating capacity, and supply heat to over 10,000 local homes, while ensuring compliance with the EU Waste Framework Directive that prioritizes waste prevention and recycling.
- Microsoft, as a technology giant, has signed a long-term offtake agreement with the Gaia project, committing to purchase nearly 3 million tonnes of carbon removal credits starting from 2029, further solidifying its position as the largest corporate buyer of carbon removal credits globally.
- The partnership between CIP, through its Energy Transition Fund, and Microsoft, showcases the growing role of private sector partnerships in driving sustainable energy solutions, such as the Gaia project, which leverages innovations in carbon capture technology to generate permanent carbon removal credits, contributing to Microsoft’s broader carbon removal efforts and the fight against climate-change.
