Germany, Europe’s largest economy as well as carbon dioxide emitter, has unveiled plans to adopt carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in select industrial sectors. The move is necessary if Germany is to achieve its 2045 carbon neutrality target, said Economy Minister Robert Habeck, who announced the plans.
Habeck, also in charge of climate policy, explained that the focus will be on sectors where it isn’t yet possible to entirely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions:
“CO2-intensive industries that cannot be electrified, such as cement and lime, will be among the sectors which benefit.”
In other words, this approach aims to bridge the gap in achieving carbon neutrality by addressing emissions that conventional methods struggle to capture entirely.
So where will the captured carbon dioxide be stored? Beneath the seabed. More specifically, under the seabed of Germany’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the North Sea.
For now, on-land storage of carbon dioxide will remain prohibited; in Habeck’s words: “On-land carbon storage will remain banned unless the federal states ask Berlin to make it possible.”
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The move, Habeck adds, will require amendments to Germany’s existing Carbon Dioxide Storage Act; to allow the transport of carbon dioxide to the seabed, the country will also need to ratify an amendment to the London Protocol, an international treaty for marine dumping.
“Before exporting CO2 abroad, Berlin needs to ratify a clause in the London Protocol international treaty on cross-border waste exports,” Habeck said.
Germany’s decision has been welcomed by the affected industries; Dominik von Acht, head of Heidelberg Materials which makes cement, called the move an “an important milestone for the decarbonization of the industry.”
Environmental groups, however, have raised concerns. Deutsche Umwelthilfe’s Sascha Mueller-Kraenner, for instance, called on the federal cabinet and Bundestag “not to agree to this proposal” due to concerns about the safety of carbon capture and storage technology in the long run, risks associated with the environment, and the high implementation costs.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — Featured Photo Credit: SaskPower.
