enfinium and Freightliner achieve first rail freight waste delivery at Ferrybridge site

enfinium, a prominent UK energy from waste operator, has announced that it has celebrated a milestone with the first delivery of waste by train at its Ferrybridge site in West Yorkshire. This initiative, in collaboration with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and rail freight company Freightliner, represents a significant step towards expanding the waste catchment area for enfinium’s Ferrybridge 1 and 2 facilities, while also aiming to reduce road traffic and transport emissions.

Over the weekend (6-7 July 2024), approximately 700 tonnes of household waste had been transported to Ferrybridge using existing railhead infrastructure from the site’s coal-fired power station days. This shift to rail freight enables the site to manage more unrecyclable waste from Northern England, diverting it from climate-damaging landfills.

Rail freight offers substantial environmental benefits, producing 76% lower emissions per freight tonne-kilometre compared to road transport. This recent delivery alone replaced around 40 waste trucks, underscoring the potential for significant emission reductions. enfinium is committed to reaching net zero emissions across its operations by 2033, as outlined in its Net Zero Transition Plan.

Dr. Jane Atkinson CBE, Chief Operating Officer at enfinium, said: “I am delighted that this trial has connected Ferrybridge to the UK’s rail network for the first time. I am grateful for the support of SUEZ and Freightliner in enabling us to achieve this step. It has opened up a range of opportunities for the business to help local authorities around the UK divert their unrecyclable waste away from climate damaging landfill.”

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This rail initiative also paves the way for connecting Ferrybridge to a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster via rail, an alternative to pipeline connections. Active rail infrastructure could facilitate the transport of captured CO2 to one of the UK’s emerging CCS clusters, enhancing enfinium’s carbon removal capabilities. The company’s £1.7 billion investment programme aims to deploy CCS technology across all its sites, potentially generating 1.2 million tonnes of carbon removals annually.

Ed Wilson, Commercial Director at Freightliner, said: “Freightliner’s ability to build strong, long-standing relationships with our customers allows us to deliver reliable and safe services. This trial showcases the importance of the development of rail across the UK and beyond in order to support and help achieve key sustainability targets, remove traffic from our busy road network and to support moving more volume by rail.”

Ferrybridge, the UK’s largest energy from waste plant, diverts up to 1.45 million tonnes of waste from landfill annually and generates 170 MW of energy, powering 340,000 homes.