In order to achieve carbon neutrality in 2045, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck proposed a new carbon capture and storage (CCS) policy in February, allowing the captured carbon dioxide to be stored on the seabed. More than a decade ago, Germany vigorously opposed CCS, but Habercke said the technology was "mature and safe" and politicians turned to support it.
Germany has proposed an offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) policy to store carbon offshore. The picture shows a schematic diagram of offshore carbon transportation and storage. The carbon will be stored under the seabed via pipelines. Image source: Global CCS Institute
Running out of time? Political parties turn to CCS
Germany has long been controversial about carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Critics say the technology is expensive, has no tangible results and is just an excuse for fossil fuel companies and other big emitters to continue emitting carbon dioxide. After intense debate, a bill was passed in 2012 giving states the right to veto the use of carbon capture technology.
According to the "Associated Press", the "Carbon Management Strategy" (CMS) announced by Haberk will allow carbon storage in the waters of Germany's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and will not consider land storage for the time being.
Haberk of the Green Party pointed out that Germany is committed to expanding renewable energy, but there are still industries that are difficult to abate (hard to abate) such as the cement industry, and CCS technology is urgently needed to reduce carbon emissions.
The Green Party opposed CCS in the 2000s. Regarding the policy change, he explained that CCS is now a "mature and safe" technology that has been applied in the real world and is not just a laboratory project.
Denmark will launch the "Greensand Project" in 2023 to build a cross-border carbon storage facility to store carbon dioxide from Denmark and other European countries to the bottom of the North Sea.
The German media "Clean Energy Wire" further pointed out that Germany will restrict CCS to only be used in the industrial sector and not in the energy sector.
"Time is running out," Haberk said. The world is working towards controlling temperature rise below 1.5°C and cannot continue to wait and see. This is a "pragmatic and responsible" decision. He emphasized that reducing carbon emissions remains the primary focus, and CCS is only a "necessary additional" policy.
The wave of CCS is coming: it is unfavorable to the transformation of carbon reduction
Germany's three-party ruling coalition has tentatively agreed to the strategy proposed by Harbach, but the details have not yet been finalized, and opponents still hope to block the policy.
"Clean Energy News Agency" reported that the Confederation of German Industry (BDI) expressed its support for the new policy. German Environmental Action (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, DUH) criticized this policy as opening the door for the fossil fuel industry, making it more difficult to shift investment towards energy conservation and green energy in the future, and called on the cabinet and the federal parliament to vote veto.
Greenpeace criticizes the government for not thinking about industrial reform and carbon reduction, and only wants to solve the problem with expensive and unsustainable super-large carbon dioxide waste storage plants.
Experts from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) see this as a renaissance of CCS in Germany; the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), a prestigious institution in the climate community, said this is an important milestone that will help achieve net zero carbon emissions, and even beyond net zero, towards carbon-negative technologies.
References:
*Reuters (2024/02/26), Germany to allow carbon transport, sub-seabed storage, minister says
*Clean Energy News Service (2024/02/26), Germany to support CCS for industry, allow offshore carbon storage with upcoming strategy
* Deutsche Welle (2024/02/26), Germany to allow carbon capture, underwater storage
*Deutsche Welle (2012/07/30), Clean coal controversy
*Associated Press (2024/02/26), Germany plans to enable underground storage of carbon dioxide at offshore site
Source: Environmental Information Center
