Veolia will supply two carbon dioxide (CO₂) purification and dehydration units for the Protos carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Cheshire, UK, under a contract awarded by engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Kanadevia Inova AG.
The equipment will be installed at Encyclis’ Protos Energy Recovery Facility near Ellesmere Port, where the carbon capture project is designed to capture approximately 370,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually once operational in mid-2029. The associated waste-to-energy facility is designed to process up to 500,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year and generate up to 49.9 MW of electricity for the UK National Grid.
The contract marks Veolia’s entry into the full-scale carbon capture market and expands its role in industrial decarbonisation under its GreenUp strategic plan.
CO₂ purification technology to support transport and storage
Veolia will design and supply two specialised units to remove impurities and moisture from the captured CO₂ stream. The treatment is intended to bring the gas within the purity specifications required for pipeline transportation and permanent geological storage.
The units have been designed in a compact, modular configuration to fit within the limited space available at the existing Protos facility. This addresses a key engineering requirement for integrating carbon capture infrastructure into an operating energy-from-waste plant.
The purification and dehydration stage is an important part of the carbon capture chain. Capturing CO₂ from flue gas is only one step; the gas must also meet the requirements of the transport and storage infrastructure before it can be moved for permanent storage.
Protos project targets 370,000 tonnes of CO₂ capture annually
The Protos project is being developed at Encyclis’ energy recovery facility near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. It is described by the project participants as the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture facility integrated with an energy-from-waste plant.
The project is part of the HyNet North West industrial decarbonisation cluster, which is developing infrastructure to transport and store captured carbon emissions.
Once captured and conditioned, the CO₂ is expected to travel through the HyNet North West pipeline network for permanent geological storage in depleted gas reservoirs beneath Liverpool Bay. The carbon capture plant is scheduled to begin operating in mid-2029.
Carbon capture expands Veolia’s industrial decarbonisation portfolio
The contract represents a strategic expansion for Veolia, which plans to grow its industrial decarbonisation activities through its GreenUp programme.
Anne Le Guennec, CEO of Veolia’s water technology activities, said the project would support the company’s ambition to help industries transition towards net zero. Veolia has positioned the Protos contract as an entry into the full-scale carbon capture market.
For Kanadevia Inova, the contract adds a specialised CO₂ purification and dehydration package to the wider Protos project, for which it is the EPC contractor. Encyclis is the facility operator and project developer.
The project also illustrates the range of technologies required to deliver carbon capture at an energy-from-waste facility, from flue-gas treatment and CO₂ capture to purification, pipeline transport and geological storage.
Bioenergy Business Analysis
The Protos project highlights how carbon capture and storage could be integrated into energy-from-waste infrastructure, adding a carbon-management stage to facilities that already recover energy from residual waste.
Veolia’s contract focuses on a critical part of that chain: preparing captured CO₂ for transport and permanent storage. The project’s planned capture capacity of 370,000 tonnes annually will depend not only on the capture equipment but also on the successful integration of purification systems, pipeline infrastructure and storage operations.
The project is expected to achieve net-negative emissions, but that outcome requires careful interpretation. Energy-from-waste facilities process mixed waste containing both fossil-derived and biogenic materials. The climate benefit depends on the share of biogenic carbon captured, the emissions associated with operating the facility and the capture, transport and permanent storage of CO₂. The net-negative outcome should therefore be treated as a project expectation rather than an independently verified result.
