Germany is drafting legislation to enable the use of the much-discussed subterranean carbon storage technology, a senior government official said Thursday, adding that it is preferable to emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Carbon Technology
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the German economics and climate minister, spoke to an industrial group in Norway about the potential for a new market for carbon capture and storage, especially in the lime and cement industries.
The technology has not yet been utilized on a large basis. Opponents assert that it is unproven and less successful at decarbonizing the energy sector than alternatives such as solar and wind.
Habeck, a member of the environmentalist Green Party, stated, We can no longer pick and choose.
Despite the new government’s significant efforts to boost the use of renewable energy, data published on Wednesday by a reputable environmental think group suggested that Germany likely missed its objective for lowering greenhouse gas emissions last year.
The government has admitted that meeting the next key climate milestone a decrease of emissions by 65 percent in 2030 relative to 1990 levels will be a significant challenge. Germany, home to numerous energy-intensive industries, intends to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
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Green Energy Industry
The announcements specified initiatives for cooperation in hydrogen, battery technology, offshore wind, and carbon capture and storage, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told reporters in Oslo.
Earlier on Thursday, the Norwegian state-owned oil company Equinor and the German utility company RWE announced plans to build an industrial value chain for the production and utilization of low-carbon hydrogen.
The collaborative investments are predicated on the construction of a hydrogen pipeline between Norway and Germany, which would allow Germany to reduce its dependency on coal power and therefore its CO2 emissions.
Germany seeks to simultaneously green its economy and obtain other energy supplies to reduce its dependence on Russian natural gas.
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