Change cement production to climate -neutral is extremely difficult. CCS systems that capture carbon dioxide could help.
What: Sven Simon
It sounds wonderfully simple: instead of having climate -damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) escaped, it is caught and pumped deep underground. Technically, this is already possible and is already being done – for example in Brevik Norwegian, where the world’s first system for CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) was opened in the industrial benchmark for the cement industry in June.
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Law should allow CCS quickly
Table of Contents
CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) mean procedures that capture the CO2 on the source and then save. This means that they usually only reduce emissions. “Negative emissions”, on the other hand, means: greenhouse gases that are already in the atmosphere are taken technically or of course. CCS can also help if CO2 is captured, which comes from biomass, for example, i.e. previously brought out of the air by plants.
Criticism also came promptly. Among other things, the law generally welcomes the law with a view to the many own waste companies that are difficult to brush on climate -neutral without CCS. Only: “The short consultation is” an imposition “. Like other associations, the VKU was asked to comment, at a rapid pace.
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Climate neutrality difficult in cement production
The association of German cement works (VDZ) is far more enthusiastic. In addition to waste management and the chemical industry, the industry is also one of the areas that are very difficult to switch to climate -friendly. We are talking about so -called “difficult to avoid residual emissions”.
Cement production is not just about energy. CO2 is also released by a chemical reaction when burning. Means: Even with 100 percent green electricity, emissions are not avoidable, at least as long as the common cement is built.
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First CCS projects are already “in the starting blocks”
“Time is for industrial decarbonization,” warns the VDZ. Because from 2040 no new certificates are to be issued in EU emissions trading. Means: If a manufacturer does not produce until then, it has to be practically closed. No wonder that the VDZ celebrates the law. CCS projects are already “in the starting blocks”.
The BUND environmental association is much more critical: just like many climate protectors and researchers, it fears so-called lock-in effects. What is meant is that the risk of relying on CCS is fully released and – also because of the high investments – fails to reduce greenhouse gases and to look for climate -friendly alternatives. There is therefore talk of an “expensive sham solution”.
Whole industries with pipelines, systems and CO2 enders are to be built around industrial waste. Billions of public funds could flow to polluters.
Olaf Bandt, Chairman of the Bund
This is also risky and shame of nature. The federal government is also bothered by the plan to give the expansion of the infrastructure an “increased public interest”, which could have priority before environmental protection. The Association of Local Companies also sees the problem and warns of a load of drinking water in the area of possible storage.
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CO2 storage expensive and complex
Incidentally, the memory still does not exist in Germany as well as CO2 pipelines. The effort is great. “Departure, transport and storage of CO2 will be very expensive,” says Prof. Klaus Wallmann from the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel (Geomar) to the Science Media Center (SMC).
According to the present draft, CCS should not be excluded even in gas power plants. A climate -friendly alternative to the renewables? Experts doubt this. CCS cannot catch all emissions, and it is also expensive and energy -intensive. Part of the gas must be fired solely for this. It also makes it uneconomical that the power plants are intended as a backup for wind and solar and should not run permanently. Without “massive subsidies”, that would not work, says Prof. Klaus Wallmann from Geomar.
Exploration of savings in the North Sea or later also on land costs millions and a lot of time. The first German memory can be available in ten years at the earliest, he believes. Export abroad, such as to Norway, would be possible faster. However, nobody can say exactly the extent to which Germany will be able to use these storage capacities.
Mark Hugo is an editor in the ZDF environmental editorial team.
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