Returkraft
Returkraft AS operates a waste-to-energy facility in Kristiansand, Norway, processing approximately 130,000 tonnes of residual municipal waste annually into 11.5 MW electricity and district heating for Agder-region municipalities under a selvkost cost-recovery business model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersKristiansand, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Returkraft does
Returkraft AS operates a single waste-to-energy facility at Langemyr in Kristiansand, Norway, established through cross-municipal cooperation between Kristiansand and Arendal municipalities and commissioned for commercial operations in August 2010. The facility is described by the company as one of Scandinavia's most modern and efficient energy recovery plants, processing approximately 130,000 tonnes of residual household and commercial waste annually that cannot be recycled or composted. The plant uses advanced combustion with heat recovery to generate 11.5 MW of electricity for the grid and district heating supplied to local facilities including Sør Arena. The facility operates under Norway's Pollution Control Act emissions permit and holds integrated ISO 45001, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 certifications; it is also the first Norwegian combustion plant to scan all incoming waste for radioactive radiation.
Returkraft's customer base is concentrated in the Agder region: Kristiansand and Arendal municipalities serve as both owners and primary customers, alongside Agder Renovasjon and most municipalities in Aust- and Vest-Agder (population over 200,000). The company does not accept waste directly from individual businesses or households; deliveries are made via municipal and private waste operators under multi-year contracts. Revenue is generated through two streams: waste treatment gate fees from municipal customers and energy sales (electricity and district heating). The business operates under the Norwegian selvkost (self-cost) principle, meaning treatment fees are calibrated over a 3-5 year horizon to recover actual operating costs with neither profit nor loss intended. A web-based customer portal (Webrapporter) supports waste reporting.
The company's strategic direction is anchored by a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project initiated in 2018, targeting capture of approximately 130,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from the combustion process with a goal of emission-free waste combustion by 2030. The CCS initiative is supported by government programs (Enova/Gassnova CLIMIT), strategic partnerships with AirProducts (membrane pilot, 2023), the Scandinavian Carbon Capture Network, the Eyde-klyngen industrial cluster, and the KAN network of Norwegian waste-to-energy facilities pursuing CCS. A new CCS Project Director was appointed in late 2023, and the project moved from feasibility to concept study in November 2025. The facility also operates Returkraftskolen, a visitor center and educational program aligned with national curriculum, and opened a hazardous waste reception facility in September 2018. Returkraft is privately held under Norwegian municipal ownership, with no external equity or VC investment indicated.
Returkraft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Returkraft
- Legal name
- Returkraft AS
- Website
- https://returkraft.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Returkraft AS operates a waste-to-energy facility in Kristiansand, Norway, processing approximately 130,000 tonnes of residual municipal waste annually into 11.5 MW electricity and district heating for Agder-region municipalities under a selvkost cost-recovery business model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Returkraft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste-to-Energy Services
- NAICS
- Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622), Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incineration & Power/Heat Generation (EUAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Combustion Facilities (BPALACAD), Used Oil & Oily Waste Management (Collection, Re-refining, Disposal) (BPALAFAI)
Keywords
Where Returkraft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kristiansand
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Returkraft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Waste Treatment Fees: Revenue from municipalities and waste companies for processing residual waste from households and commercial sources. Operates under selvkost (self-cost) principle where fees must cover actual costs.
- Energy Sales: Sale of electricity (11.5 MW capacity) to the power grid and district heating to local facilities including Sør Arena, contributing to revenue through energy markets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Self-cost pricing based on municipal agreements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Returkraft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Returkraft operates a waste-to-energy facility at Langemyr in Kristiansand that processes approximately 130,000 tonnes of residual waste annually from municipalities and private waste operators in the Agder region. The facility combusts non-recyclable household and commercial waste to generate 11.5 MW of electricity and district heating supplied to local facilities including Sør Arena, operating under the selvkost (self-cost) principle where treatment fees cover actual costs.
Product overview
Returkraft operates a single integrated waste-to-energy facility that converts residual waste into energy through combustion. The core service is energy recovery, complemented by educational programs through Returkraftskolen for schools, and an ambitious carbon capture and storage (CCS) project aimed at eliminating CO2 emissions from combustion by 2030. Customers access services through a web-based reporting portal. The facility processes household waste and commercial waste from municipalities and private operators across the Agder region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Returkraftskolen: The Returkraft School - an educational visitor center offering tours and educational programs about waste management and energy recovery for school groups from 7th grade through upper secondary, as well as businesses and organizations.
Products and services
- Energy Recovery from Waste Core waste-to-energy service that combusts approximately 130,000 tonnes of residual waste annually that cannot be recycled, converting it to 11.5 MW of electricity and district heating. Serves municipalities and private waste operators in the Agder region of Norway.
- Returkraftskolen (Returkraft School) Educational program offering guided tours of the energy recovery facility and structured teaching sessions for school groups from 7th grade through upper secondary, as well as businesses and organizations. Programs cover energy education, waste sorting, sustainable development, and career orientation.
- Webrapporter (Customer Portal) Online customer portal for waste delivery reporting and management that allows municipal and commercial customers to log in, access waste delivery data, and generate reporting tools.
Quantifiable outcome
- 130,000 tonnes CO2 captured annually with planned CCS facility
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Returkraft
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Returkraft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Returkraft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AirProducts AScoreCollaboration on capture study where a small pilot plant for carbon capture was installed in Returkraft's treatment facility. Pilot uses newly developed membrane technology to test capture rates and technical challenges.
- Scandinavian Carbon Capture Network (Bergen & Copenhagen)coreStrategic cooperation agreement on carbon capture with combustion facilities in Bergen and Copenhagen. Involves exchange of information, division of tasks, and development of technical and commercial solutions for capture, use, and storage of CO2.
- Eyde-klyngencoreIndustrial cluster network that coordinated the mapping of CO2 emissions from member companies, identifying Returkraft as the only operator unable to reduce emissions through energy efficiency or process changes. Coordinates multiple cooperation projects.
- GCE NODEminorAdded extra project management competence to the CCS project through GCE NODE, a Norwegian center of expertise.
- Kristiansand Havn and Glencore NikkelverkminorLogistics study collaboration examining opportunities and challenges related to transport and storage of captured CO2 from Returkraft before intermediate storage and further shipping.
- NorconsultminorEngineering consultancy that conducted the logistics study for CO2 transport and storage in collaboration with Kristiansand Havn and Glencore Nikkelverk.
- Klimakur for Avfallsforbrenning (KAN) NetworkcoreNetwork of Norwegian waste combustion facilities with CCS activities, including Statkraft Varme, Forus Energigjenvinning, BIR Ressurs, Hafslund Oslo Celsio, FREVAR, Eidsiva Bioenergi, and SAREN Energy. Shares systematic insights on technological solutions and permanent storage from combustion.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Returkraft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Amager Resource Center (ARC): Copenhagen waste-to-energy utility with full-scale CCS deployment and co-member of the Scandinavian Carbon Capture Network with Returkraft. Most direct international peer in CCS-enabled WtE and the closest reference for Returkraft's planned retrofit.
- Eidsiva Bioenergi: Inland Norway district heating and bioenergy operator. KAN CCS network participant; comparable Norwegian waste/heat business model with CCS aspirations.
- FREVAR: Fredrikstad-based waste-to-energy facility owned by municipalities in Østfold. KAN CCS network member alongside Returkraft; directly comparable Norwegian WtE peer pursuing similar CCS initiatives at a similar municipal scale.
- Forus Energigjenvinning: Stavanger-region waste-to-energy facility serving surrounding municipalities in Rogaland. KAN CCS network participant; directly comparable Norwegian WtE peer in similar municipal-contract model.
- Statkraft Varme: Norwegian district heating and WtE operator under Statkraft. KAN network member actively exploring CCS; comparable municipal-contract and district-heating business model.
- BIR Ressurs: Bergen-region waste company operating WtE facilities on behalf of surrounding municipalities. KAN CCS network member alongside Returkraft; closely comparable Norwegian WtE peer with similar scale and inter-municipal governance.
- Hafslund Oslo Celsio: Oslo's primary waste-to-energy and district heating utility, also pursuing full-scale CCS. Direct Norwegian WtE peer with similar municipal ownership, multi-municipality customer base, and CCS ambitions; co-member of the KAN network with Returkraft.
- SAREN Energy: Smaller Norwegian WtE operator participating in CCS discussions through the KAN network. Comparable Norwegian waste-to-energy peer in the same inter-municipal contract model.
Others
- Agder Renovasjon: Sister municipal waste-collection company in the Agder region that delivers waste to Returkraft. Not a competitor but a key customer and part of the same regional waste ecosystem; useful reference for inter-municipal waste flows.
- Avfall Norge: Norwegian waste-management industry association representing WtE operators and waste companies. Returkraft exited the organization at year-end 2021; included as ecosystem participant relevant to policy and industry positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Returkraft social profiles
Digital presenceReturkraft compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Returkraft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Returkraft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Returkraft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Returkraft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Returkraft
What does Returkraft do?
Returkraft operates a waste-to-energy facility at Langemyr in Kristiansand that processes approximately 130,000 tonnes of residual waste annually from municipalities and private waste operators in the Agder region. The facility combusts non-recyclable household and commercial waste to generate 11.5 MW of electricity and district heating supplied to local facilities including Sør Arena, operating under the selvkost (self-cost) principle where treatment fees cover actual costs.
When was Returkraft founded?
Returkraft was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Returkraft based?
Returkraft is headquartered in Kristiansand, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Returkraft make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Waste Treatment Fees are the primary driver. The others are energy Sales.
Who are Returkraft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Amager Resource Center (ARC), Eidsiva Bioenergi, FREVAR, Forus Energigjenvinning, Statkraft Varme, BIR Ressurs, Hafslund Oslo Celsio and SAREN Energy. Others are Agder Renovasjon and Avfall Norge.
Does Returkraft have an API?
No public API is recorded for Returkraft.
What industry is Returkraft in?
Returkraft's product category is Waste-to-Energy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIACAG, Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incineration & Power/Heat Generation, with a secondary code of BPALACAD, Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Combustion Facilities. Its NAICS code is 5622 and its SIC code is 4953.