Copenhagen plans 450 million kroner investment in CO2 capture initiatives

Copenhagen aims to significantly boost its carbon dioxide (CO2) capture efforts, with local politicians proposing a funding allocation of 450 million Danish kroner for CO2 capture initiatives. This plan is part of a new budget agreement announced recently.

According to Lars Weiss, the acting mayor of Copenhagen, this initiative has the potential to become the largest climate initiative in the city’s history. The funds are expected to support operations at Amagerværket, a facility that provides district heating and electricity to over 600,000 residents. Hofor, the company managing the plant, plans to capture 900,000 tons of CO2 annually, which equates to eliminating emissions from all vehicles in the city.

Weiss emphasized the importance of CO2 capture in achieving climate goals. He stated that this initiative dwarfs any previous climate efforts, marking it as Copenhagen’s most significant step in climate action to date.

Previously, the Amager Resource Center, which also sought to implement CO2 capture, had to abandon its plans due to not meeting equity requirements for state funding, jeopardizing Copenhagen’s goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2025. Weiss is optimistic that with municipal backing, the current vision for CO2 capture will succeed.

Hofor’s energy director, Gorm Elikofer, estimates that the overall project will require approximately 5 billion Danish kroner, but the initial municipal investment is seen as a crucial step toward financial viability. The state has allocated over 26 billion kroner for increasing CO2 capture over 15 years, but companies must start capturing CO2 by 2030 to receive funding.

Elikofer expressed hope that the project would showcase that large-scale CO2 capture would not result in higher energy costs for residents. The budget agreement has support from all political parties except the Conservatives and the Alternative party.