As of: February 27, 2024, 11:46 a.m
By: Nils Hinsberger
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Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to store CO₂ underground.
The traffic light and environmental associations criticize the project.
Support comes from the CDU.
Berlin – Robert Habeck (Greens), Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, has presented his plans to store climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO₂) underground in the future.
With the so-called “Carbon Capture and Storage” (CCS), carbon dioxide from industry can be captured and stored, Habeck announced at a press conference on Monday (February 26).
“The technology is safe, the CO₂ remains in the ground,” said the minister.
Camps are planned on the seabed of the North Sea.
Environmental associations and partners from the traffic light coalition warn of possible dangers.
“We have renewables for climate protection in energy production,” said Nina Scheer, climate policy spokeswoman for the SPD, to the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
.
In the case of fossil power plants, the technology must also be fundamentally excluded, says Scheer.
Otherwise there is a risk of sticking to fossil fuels.
The Federal Environment Agency also warns against the use of CCS in the energy sector.
It should not be used as a “solution for energy-related fossil greenhouse gas emissions,” says a position paper.
Environmental associations warn against Habeck's CO₂ plans
German Environmental Aid called on the Bundestag and the Federal Cabinet not to agree to Economics Minister Habeck's proposal.
In a press release, Umwelthilfe and 10 other organizations warned that companies “with CCS will continue to commit themselves to the use of oil and gas for decades.”
In addition, it has not yet been proven how long-term storage of large amounts of carbon dioxide underground could be achieved.
Rather, we see potential dangers for people and the environment.
Ottmar Edenhofer (l.), from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Robert Habeck (Alliance 90/The Greens), at a press conference to present the key points of the carbon management strategy.
© Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance/dpa
If a fault were to occur in one of the planned storage facilities, there would be a risk of sea water becoming acidified.
According to environmental aid, this can lead to “real death zones” for shellfish and corals.
Since carbon dioxide has to be pressed, i.e. compressed, in the CCS process, earthquakes and toxic deposits could occur under the seabed.
“CCS endangers our drinking water, requires enormous land use, destroys natural landscapes and requires an enormous amount of energy and materials,” the environmental associations write in their press release.
CDU supports Habeck's CO₂ storage in the North Sea
Habeck has recognized the signs of the times with his proposal, said the CDU's environmental policy spokeswoman, Anja Weisberger, in a press release.
She welcomes the minister's decision to enable "storage of CO₂ on the high seas".
CDU parliamentary group leader Tobias Koch has also spoken out in favor of the CCS process, reported the
dpa
.
“Science shows us very clearly that CCS is necessary and safe to implement,” said Koch.
Without the process, Germany's climate goals cannot be achieved.
In a video speech by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), Ottmar Edenhofer, Director at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, emphasized the need for CCS for the industrial sector.
The process is the only way in which the cement and lime industry can be transformed to be climate-neutral.
“We will have to capture and store around 50 million tons of CO₂ by 2040,” says Edenhofer.
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Habeck wants to achieve climate goals in industry through CO₂ storage
For Germany, the use of CCS also means an economic advantage.
If the country wants to stick to its own climate goals, remaining carbon dioxide from industry must be tied up.
“There are emissions in industry that are very difficult or impossible to avoid,” says Habeck in a press release from the BMWK.
“Here we have to capture and store any remaining CO₂.
Only then can we keep these industries in Germany and achieve our climate goals in the industry.”
Marine protected areas are excluded from the minister's plans.
In addition to the CCS process, they also want to work on other options for avoiding emissions.
“The focus of our efforts is always to prevent emissions from occurring in the first place,” says Habeck.
Renewable energies, the exit from fossil fuels and the commitment to a circular economy remain the focus.
CO₂ storage in the North Sea – “This technology is safe”
“We can now look back on many years of research, testing and application of CCS technology,” said Habeck.
That's why he and his ministry came to the conclusion: "This technology is safe."
In addition, many countries are already making progress in technology.
According to BMWK, the process involves capturing carbon dioxide in industry before it enters the atmosphere.
The gas should then be transported to underground CO₂ storage.
There the gas can mineralize over time and be bound as a solid in the storage.
In addition to storage, the captured carbon dioxide could also be used in the chemical industry.
(nhi)