Sweden’s municipal energy utility Söderenergi AB has struck a landmark deal to reserve the first negative emissions from its planned bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) plant for pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.
The agreement will see Söderenergi deliver the initial output of biogenic carbon dioxide (bioCO₂) captured at its Igelstaverket combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Södertälje to AstraZeneca, which operates one of its largest manufacturing sites in the town.
By 2030, the plant is expected to have the capacity to capture and permanently store up to 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year.
Söderenergi is currently finalising the carbon capture design, with a view to making an investment decision by the end of 2026, provided the full value chain — from capture to geological storage and certified carbon credits — is in place.
Robert Tingvall, CEO of Söderenergi, said: “We are proud that the first negative emissions from our plant will be delivered to AstraZeneca. This agreement demonstrates confidence in our BECCS project and helps build the industry for permanent carbon removal.”
Negative emissions are increasingly seen as essential for offsetting unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement.
Marika Du Rietz, Sustainability Manager at AstraZeneca’s Södertälje site, described the deal as “an important complement to our climate goals of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reducing them by 90 per cent by 2045 across our value chain.”
Boel Godner, Chair of the Municipal Executive Board in Södertälje, said: “Carbon dioxide removal is a forward-looking investment, and it is particularly positive that AstraZeneca is involved. In the long term, it helps build a regional energy and climate cluster and supports Sweden’s climate objectives.”
Söderenergi partners with AstraZeneca on carbon removal
