German cabinet backs CCS strategy

Germany moves a step closer to large-scale deployment with federal cabinet’s adoption of carbon management strategy and draft law changes

Germany’s federal cabinet has taken a key step towards removing the barriers to the deployment of CCS in Europe’s largest economy by adopting a proposed carbon management strategy, as well as draft amendments to the country’s Carbon Storage Act. The raft of proposals and draft legal amendments, initially set out by the coalition government in February, is designed to open the way for the use of CCS and CCUS in hard-to-abate sectors. They would allow the development of CO₂ pipelines, offshore storage and the export of CO₂ to other countries under existing international London Protocol rules. The proposals do not allow for permanent onshore storage, but they include an “opt in” clause under wh