Captured Waste: Drivers and barriers to the implementation of carbon capture and storage in the waste to energy industry

This thesis explores drivers and barriers to implementing carbon capture and storage in the waste to energy industry, and how this transformation is affected by contextual factors and preconditions. Additionally, it explores the role and strategy of actors involved in the transition. It has an emphasis on place-based factors. The study identified climate action, financing schemes and new business models that cover capital expenses and operational expenses, as well as learning outcomes as the primary drivers for CCS in WtE. At the same time, capital expenses and operational expenses were identified as primary financial barriers, requiring policies enabling a negative emission market and adjusting the CO₂ emission tariff for the sector to enable profitability of CCS in WtE. Space limitations and issues of heat integration were also major barriers. Actors worked through networks to influence national politics, and to overcome placebased barriers. The findings provide empirical examples of regime alignment, triple embeddedness mediation, and highlight technical and physical challenges to implementing CCS in WtE. Finally, geography was conveyed through an emphasis on place-based factors, which showed a variance between the cases. At the general level, the findings of this thesis highlight the challenges of transforming hard-to-abate industries with CCS, and what measures actors involved are employing to increase the successfulness of these projects.