Babcock & Wilcox Assesses SolveBright CO2-Capture Tech for Swedish Plant

Mälarenergi AB awarded Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) a contract to perform a full-scale feasibility assessment of its SolveBright CO₂-capture technology to be installed at a waste-to-energy plant in Västerås, Sweden. The study will examine SolveBright integration with the plant and district heating system, as well as:

• Identification and management of usable heat
• Rebalancing and optimization of the waste-to-energy facility
• Selecting the optimal technical configuration for high operational efficiency

SolveBright System

The SolveBright scrubbing system is a post-combustion solution that absorbs CO₂ from the plant’s flue gas using a regenerable solvent. It is part of B&W’s ClimateBright technology portfolio that reduces carbon impact via post- or pre-combustion carbon capture, burning clean fuels, and utilizing energy from feedstock to produce hydrogen, steam, or syngas with carbon isolation.

“We’re pleased to collaborate with Mälarenergi on this feasibility study to demonstrate how B&W’s SolveBright technology can reduce the Västerås plant’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jimmy Morgan, B&W Chief Operating Officer. “We look forward to contributing our many decades of expertise in waste-to-energy and flue gas purification in support of this important customer.”

Mälarenergi AB’s Plant

With this plant, the company’s goal is to capture 400,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year and permanently sequester the pollutant to reach carbon neutrality by 2035. Mälarenergi’s waste-to-energy plant delivers 50% of the region’s district heating demand, reducing electricity consumption and maintaining energy supply for additional requirements. Integrating carbon-reduction technologies to capture emissions will help ensure Sweden’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions.

“We are excited to work with B&W on the integration study of the capture plant in our waste-to-energy facility,” said Ivette Farias, Mälarenergi Project Manager. “This project will facilitate our path towards energy transition, driving our company to our ambitious net-zero target.”

B&W News

In September 2024, Varme Energy awarded B&W a contract to perform front-end engineering and design (FEED) work for its planned waste-to-energy project, equipped with carbon capture and sequestration, in Alberta, Canada. B&W will conduct engineering and design for the plant’s waste-fired boiler, emissions control technologies, and post-combustion carbon-capture system.

Upon FEED completion, B&W’s scope includes the design, supply, and construction of the plant’s combustion grate, boiler, and economizer. It will also design and supply the air quality control system for particulates, NOx, and SOx, as well as a carbon-capture absorber and sorbent regeneration system. The proposed facility will be constructed northeast of Edmonton with capability to process up to 200,000 tons of waste per year.

And, in June, NorthStar Clean Energy granted B&W a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) on the conversion of a former coal-fired power plant in Filer City, MI to a BECCS facility using the company’s biomass SolveBright post-combustion CO₂ capture technology. B&W conducted a front-end engineering and design study for the project and the partners are now working to finalize the full contract. The LNTP enables B&W to perform design and procurement work, and full notice is slated for Q4 2024.

Upon completion of the conversion project, the power plant will operate with biomass as fuel to produce power with net-negative greenhouse gas emissions. With B&W’s SolveBright process, it will also be capable of capturing up to 550,000 tons of CO₂ per year to be stored underground.