waste, Garbage | Oslo imports rubbish from Northern Ireland: Gets record emissions:

In the Climate Agency’s report for 2019, «Greenhouse gas accounts for Oslo», there are many fine figures. Among other things, the total emissions of greenhouse gases are down 6.7 percent.

All sectors, with the exception of waste incineration, energy supply and shipping, had reduced emissions, writes the agency.

Waste incineration is a growth industry, and right here the numbers are different. Emissions from waste incineration increased by 4 percent. And the reason is not more green and blue bags from the city’s population, but increased imports.

In 2019, as much as 190,000 tonnes of waste came by boat from the United Kingdom to Norway.

– There’s something gurgling

Fortum Oslo Varme, which is 50 per cent owned by the City of Oslo, collects large amounts of waste from the United Kingdom, more specifically Northern Ireland – the waste goes straight into the incineration plant at Klemetsrud, at the southeast end of the municipality, and is further used as district heating.

At the same time, enormous amounts of waste are exported to Sweden because there is not enough capacity at Norwegian incineration plants.

– This is a paradox, this. There’s something gurgling. I do not have the full and complete overview, but that we send waste around is a bit special. We do not want a ban on this, but it may seem that something in this market is not working properly, says Ståle Nistov, CEO of Franzefoss Gjenvinning.

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Truls Gulowsen, leader of the Nature Conservation Association, is skeptical of all the transport of waste. He responds that the import of rubbish triggers more shipping of rubbish to Sweden in particular:

– We can not have it so that Oslo’s taxpayers pay for CO2 emissions from Northern Ireland. Basically, all countries should handle their own rubbish, says Gulowsen.

Lots of garbage exports to Sweden

“The main reason is that more waste was burned at Klemetsrud and Haraldrud,” writes the Climate Agency about why emissions from waste are increasing. However, only a fifth of the emissions come from Oslo’s own household waste:

“The rest is from household waste and industrial waste from surrounding municipalities, as well as household waste imported from the UK,” the report states.

At the same time as the incineration plant in Oslo collects waste from European countries, massive exports of Norwegian residual waste to Sweden are underway:

– Norwegian plants do not have sufficient incineration capacity for all the residual waste that is generated. A lot of residual waste is therefore exported to Sweden, where more of the energy in the waste is utilized as district heating, writes the Norwegian Environment Agency.

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Norwegian municipalities sent as much as 1.4 million tonnes of waste to facilities in Sweden in 2019, figures from the directorate show. At the same time, the statistics show that imports of waste from the UK increased from 166,000 tonnes in 2018 to 190,000 tonnes in 2019.

As this graph shows, imports of waste to Norway have increased sharply since 2015:

–

– Crucial with cuts in emissions

Fortum Oslo Varme is responsible for the operational operation of the plant at Klemetsrud, on the southeastern edge of Oslo municipality. The company is part of the Finnish Fortum Group.

The City of Oslo therefore does not want to answer questions related to the operation of the facility, the City Council for Business and Ownership in Oslo states in an email to Nettavisen. In contrast to the Norwegian Environment Agency, the city council would not call the import import, but “sale of services”:

However, we point out that FOV does not import waste, but sells its services in an international market, says Victoria Marie Evensen, City Councilor for Business and Ownership in Oslo.

The city council, and Fortum itself, say that waste that remains can cause large greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the form of methane gases. According to Fortum, it takes less emissions in total to collect waste from Northern Ireland by boat and incinerate it for district heating in Oslo than to leave it at landfills in the home country.

The UK has high taxes that encourage waste exports, because there is far too little incineration capacity in the country. City Councilor Evensen is nevertheless clear that emissions must be reduced if Oslo is to reach its climate goals:

– The Klemetsrud plant is nevertheless Oslo’s largest point of emission of CO2, and cuts in emissions from the plant are absolutely crucial for Oslo Municipality to achieve its ambitious climate goals. Realization of carbon capture at the Klemetsrud facility is therefore a high priority for both Oslo Municipality and Fortum.

– A large and good climate measure

Several climate measures in Oslo are aimed at local effects, such as reducing car traffic and increasing the use of non-fossil fuels in public transport. But Oslo’s largest single emissions come from the incineration of waste, including foreign waste that has traveled 2,000 kilometers.

Importing waste is nevertheless a solid climate measure, claims Fortum, who insists on calling the import “waste incineration of international waste”:

– This is a large and good climate measure. We are moving what could have ended up on the heap to an incineration plant with good treatment, and this reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent, including boat traffic from the UK. The owners of the waste in the UK pay us to solve their waste problem, says Truls Jemtland, communications manager at Fortum Oslo Varme.

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He explains the import by saying that in the British Isles, as in many other countries, there is undercapacity in the final treatment of waste.

– They lack incinerators. In several places it is common to put household waste on the heap. However, more and more local authorities are banning this. There will be an EU ban on landfills, but here at home this has been banned since 2009. When this happens, the British must either build incineration capacity themselves or buy it in the market.

Need billions for carbon capture

– Leaving waste on rubbish heaps results in large local environmental emissions and large emissions of methane gas, says Jemtland

He will not say exactly what Fortum will be paid to collect the waste, and justifies this by saying that the company operates in an international market.

He acknowledges that combustion increases CO2 emissions locally in Oslo, but points out that these emissions may be resolved soon. Et pilot plant to eliminate CO2 emissions from the combustion is tested with good result.

But a plant in full operation requires investments of several billion kroner. In a few weeks, it will be clarified whether Fortum will receive the necessary EU funds for the operation of carbon capture at the plant.

Fortum has the EU Innovation Fund of NOK 1.8 billion in support of the realization of the project. In the state’s allocation of NOK 3 billion is reserved for external support

– This gives a gap of 1.5 billion kroner which must be clarified with the state and our owners, says Jemtland.

– Heating to 200,000 people

According to Jemtland, this year 25,000-30,000 tonnes of sorted waste from Northern Ireland will be treated, ie incinerated, at the plant at Klemetsrud, which is located on the southeastern edge of Oslo municipality.

A total of 350,000 tonnes of waste is finalized at Klemetsrud, Jemtland states. Otherwise, waste from Oslo’s local municipalities is incinerated at Klemetsrud, while the other large plant, Haraldrud, at Brobekk in Groruddalen, handles the waste from Oslo’s own households.

Oslo Municipality makes money from this, with its 50 percent ownership in Fortum, Jemtland emphasizes:

– The waste heat from the incineration goes to the production of district heating and electricity – 65 percent of the energy in Oslo’s district heating plants comes from the waste management at Klemetsrud and Haraldrud. This energy helps to provide heating for around 200,000 people who live in buildings with district heating in Oslo.

– It creates a risk

Ståle Nistov in Franzefoss is not entirely convinced, although he agrees that it is not good to leave rubbish in huge landfills:

– It is not good to leave it on landfills and rot, it is clear. But I have not seen this climate account. I wish it was a more well-functioning and transparent market. Much of this is stock market-like. There are CO2 taxes on shipping – will the actual cost be properly reflected in the calculation? We can perhaps hope that the CO2 tax will have a stronger effect over time.

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Nothing in this calculation goes up, says Truls Gulowsen, leader of the Nature Conservation Association.

– If we receive more than there is energy demand for, then it is waste disposal, and that is not why we have recycling facilities.

In principle, it still makes more sense with a boat from Northern Ireland than lots of trailers to Sweden, says the leader of the Nature Conservation Association, who is skeptical of all the transport that occurs due to waste shipping:

– The principle of having to export sorted waste creates a risk of not taking the necessary steps, so that you rather export the problem out of sight.

All blue bags for Sweden

The online newspaper has tried to provide an overview of which municipalities export rubbish.

– Which municipalities export waste is complex, as it varies over time and who exports, says Kåre Fostervold. business policy spokesperson in Avfallnorge AS.

Oslo’s waste sorted by households goes to incineration, but there are some exceptions.

– What comes to Haraldrud is burned there. So the residual waste in Oslo is not exported, but things can be picked up for recycling from recycling stations, for example for recycling in Sweden, says Jørgen Bakke Fredriksen, the Waste Management and Recycling Agency.