In 2022, Wihlborgs signed a letter of intent with the municipal energy company Öresundskraft regarding the purchase of a carbon reduction certificate. The Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology entails capturing carbon dioxide from flue gases generated in district heating production. The carbon dioxide is then compressed to liquid form, transported and stored permanently deep underground where it is transformed into stone. Using the same process for carbon dioxide with a biogenic origin is known as Bio-Energy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and represents a negative emission.

Wihlborgs is now following through on this letter of intent and has signed a ten-year supplier agreement using BECCS for carbon reduction certificates corresponding to 10,000 tonnes of annual emissions. Delivery is set to commence when Öresundskraft's CO2 separation facility at the Filbornaverket plant is ready, preliminarily in 2028. Wihlborgs already has a long-standing partnership with Öresundskraft on green energy.

Carbon reduction certificates can be used to balance the climate emissions that are currently unavoidable. Wihlborgs primarily endeavours to limit its emissions through active measures both in project and in property-management operations, such as limiting the need for new materials, making active choices of necessary building material, energy optimisation and transitioning away from climate-damaging refrigerants. Wihlborgs also contributes to phasing out fossil fuels through the purchase and production of renewable energy, and by investing in solar power and energy storage. By increasing our focus on the NollCO2 certification of properties, Wihlborgs has reduced its carbon footprint from new production by 50 percent over the past five years.

"CCS enables us to offer fossil-free district heating, a major advantage as our customers are increasingly seeking climate-neutral forms of heating. Moreover, we are able to offer negative emissions to customers who wish to compensate for emissions that would otherwise be difficult to mitigate. This strengthens our role as an enabler of climate-smart energy solutions, which is both seen and appreciated by our customers. Interest is widespread and we are in talks with several potential buyers. Together, we support Helsingborg's overall climate goals," says Stefan Håkansson, CEO of Öresundskraft.

"The pursuit of an innovative climate initiative in the Öresund region is highly beneficial and we appreciate that Öresundskraft have assumed such a clear and forward-leaning position regarding CCS. Wihlborgs prefers to climate balance where we operate, and to leverage permanent carbon sinks close to home rather than investing in distant projects. Another benefit is that we will also be able to use climate-neutral district heating to heat our properties in Helsingborg," says Ulrika Hallengren, CEO of Wihlborgs.   

"We have focused climate targets by 2030 that we need to find healthy balancing strategies to achieve, and as such, it is important to make an early start. Even if we continually strive to keep our emissions to a minimum, we are facing a long transition period ahead during which we will need to climate balance for emissions in our construction projects. We want to pursue this in a credible, tangible and permanent manner, which this agreement makes possible," says Elsa Hagdahl, Head of Sustainability at Wihlborgs.

Wihlborgs Fastigheter AB (publ)