Brandenburg's CO2 storage: key to climate neutrality or danger?

Brandenburg's CO2 storage: key to climate neutrality or danger?

Beeskow, Deutschland - In Brandenburg, an increasing political and economic interest in CO2 storage is emerging. The state government recommends that a new report commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and created by the Research Institute for Prognos recommend examining the CO2 storage more openly. This is an important signal for the achievement of climate neutrality by 2045, since the current attitude of the government provides for a complete rejection of CO2 storage in underground deposits. Economic Minister Daniel Keller (SPD) expressed concerns that the emigration of companies could result if CO2 management is not clarified. He therefore suggests evaluating options such as offshore storage or storage in Northern European countries. This is particularly relevant because rising prices for emission certificates, especially in the steel and cement industry, are heavily burdened.

The report also emphasizes opportunities for the use of CO2 for the production of synthetic fuels. Prognos recommends not to reject CO2 storage within Brandenburg, but to have a political discussion about it. Experts such as BSW business expert Stefan Roth emphasize the urgency because the CO2 prize and the certificate trade already put strong pressure on companies. At the same time, the CDU criticizes the rejecting attitude of the state government by focusing on the opportunities of CO2 storage to secure jobs and industrial competitiveness.

economic aspects and challenges

The forecasts show that the investment costs for a CO2 management network in Brandenburg could be over 1 billion euros, and also 2.4 billion euros would be required for CCS technology. The planned line network, which is to be about 300 kilometers long by 2045, would have the potential to combine important industries in Brandenburg. However, Axel Kruschat, from the Brandenburg Association for the Environment and Nature, expresses concerns about the economy of this technology without public funds.

Especially with regard to climate policy, many analysts point out that carbon separation and storage (CCS) could become an essential part of the German energy transition. According to an analysis of McKinsey, up to 360 million tons of greenhouse gases could be separated from CCS annually, which corresponds to about a quarter of German CO2 emissions. This is particularly relevant for the basic material chemistry and iron and steel production, where there is a separation potential of around 150 million tons per year.

regulatory developments and future outlook

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection plans cornerstones for a carbon management strategy that also provides for underground CO2 storage in the North Sea. With the first major projects that offer a separation capacity of around 9 million tons in the cement industry, important progress could be made by the end of the decade. The costs for the deposition vary greatly depending on the industry: for the chemical industry, the costs are € 40-60/t, whereas the cement industry costs between € 70-120/t.

For more information and a deeper insight into these topics, you can do the articles on rbb24 href = "https://www.mckinsey.com/de/news/presse/2024-05-Energende-index---ccs"> mcKinsey and McKinsey.de Visit.