As of: March 24, 2024, 5:26 a.m
By: Lars-Eric Nievelstein
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The federal government wants to build large-scale CO₂ storage facilities.
However, this requires an expensive infrastructure.
It's about billions.
Berlin – The energy transition could go better.
Only recently, the Bavarian Business Association (vbw) gave the traffic light coalition a mixed report.
According to a recent report, Germany is failing to meet its self-imposed climate goals in almost all areas.
New efforts to store carbon dioxide are intended to save Germany's competitiveness.
But they will be expensive.
CO2 transport requirements for cement, lime and waste incineration |
6.5 million tonnes (by 2030) |
|---|---|
CO2 transport requirements for cement, lime and waste incineration |
35 million tons (by 2040) |
Expected costs of a CO2 pipeline network |
14 billion euros |
Thermal energy requirements for cement, lime and waste incineration |
Plus 20 percent by 2045 |
Government presents new plans – carbon dioxide under the seabed
A look back: At the end of February, Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presented the key points of the so-called carbon management strategy as well as a draft for amending the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act.
The big goal behind it: Habeck wants to enable the transport and offshore storage of CO₂ in Germany.
Specifically, this involves CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), i.e. the capture and storage of CO₂, as well as CCU (Carbon Capture and Usage), which includes the capture and use of carbon dioxide for emissions that are difficult or impossible to avoid.
Robert Habeck before the start of a conference at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce (symbolic photo).
The federal government wants to build large-scale CO₂ storage facilities.
However, this requires an expensive infrastructure.
It's about billions.
© IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen
“Today we are making a pragmatic and responsible decision: CCS and CCU should be made possible in Germany.
Otherwise the climate goals will be impossible to achieve,” said Habeck.
The technology is important for the competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location.
“Abandoning this would put us at a competitive disadvantage and cost us dearly.”
Investigation reveals – government needs 14 billion euros
In a recent study, the Association of German Cement Works (VDZ) revealed what requirements Germany faces in the cement, lime and waste incineration sectors alone.
What is particularly important is the “temporal development” of CO₂ capture.
This means: Cement manufacturers have high CO₂ emissions, but final storage has not yet been set up.
“Many cement manufacturers are in the starting blocks with their separation projects,” said VDZ Managing Director Martin Schneider.
However, there is a lack of a national legal framework and – importantly – the transport infrastructure.
A scenario drawn up in the study assumes that climate neutrality in the three sectors of cement, lime and waste incineration requires an annual transport requirement for carbon dioxide of around 6.5 million tonnes (2030).
By 2040 the amount is expected to increase to 35 million tons.
If Germany manages to build an appropriate infrastructure by 2035, the association expects savings of around 500 million tons of CO₂.
Any delay would reduce these savings – and put the climate goals at risk.
Cost for the CO₂ pipe network that the VDZ is demanding: 14 billion euros.
In total, these funds will be used to create pipelines with a length of around 4,800 kilometers.
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The decision must be made “at the latest” by the end of 2024
In addition to building the infrastructure, the study looked at energy requirements.
“CO₂ capture is usually very energy-intensive.
“The need for renewable energy for climate-neutral cement and lime production will therefore increase to almost four times the current level – from 4.7 terawatt hours to around 17 terawatt hours in 2045,” explained Schneider.
The thermal energy requirements of the three sectors under consideration are expected to grow by around 20 percent compared to today.
“Building a CO₂ infrastructure is not just a technical challenge.
The decisive prerequisites are, above all, social and political support as well as the necessary legal framework for rapid implementation,” said VDZ President Christian Knell.
This must be in place “at the latest” by the end of 2024.
66 million tons – that’s how much cement producers emit
The Federal Republic's CO₂ emissions currently amount to 673 million tons per year.
This was reported by Handelsblatt, citing figures from the Federal Environment Agency.
66 million tons of this come from the cement, lime and waste incineration sectors.
If the storage of carbon dioxide (as Habeck now plans) takes place below the seabed in the future, the gas will no longer reach the atmosphere and can no longer contribute to global warming.
Industries such as the cement industry are now relying on this storage method - otherwise they would have to stop production due to climate regulations.
However, there will still be some time before construction actually begins.
The changes proposed by Habeck have already been discussed with the Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance, but official coordination with the ministries is still pending.
After the departmental vote, the state and association hearings follow, followed by the cabinet consultation.
For normal consumers, the CO₂ price only rose sharply at the turn of the year.