CO₂ removal: Why the EU is moving forwar • Table.Briefings

The Swedish biomass power plant KVV8 uses CCS to capture CO₂ from biogenic emissions and thus remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.

The EU is now demanding that oil and gas companies set up geological CO₂ storage facilities that enable CCS and CO₂ removal technologies such as direct air capture (DACCS) and bioenergy with CCS (BECCS). For the German government, however, removing CO₂ from the atmosphere is a low priority. However, the Climate Council, scientists and associations are calling for exactly this.

Last week, the EU took a major step towards the development of geological CO₂ storage facilities. Under the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), 44 European oil and gas companies are obliged to provide CO₂ storage capacities of 50 million tons by 2030. In a Delegated Regulation, the EU Commission obliged companies to develop geological storage facilities of varying sizes in line with their share of European oil and gas production. In doing so, the EU wants to promote „emission reductions and permanent CO₂ removal for energy-intensive industries,“ as Kurt Vandenberghe, EU Director-General for Climate Action, says. The NGO Clean Air Task Force speaks of a „milestone“ for the development of a CO₂ storage infrastructure.

CO₂ removal: Why the EU is moving forward while Germany hesitates.

Sign up now and continue reading immediately