The Fukushima nuclear disaster has sparked the already fierce debate in Germany about the nuclear energy production in the country. This paves the way for full German endorsement of Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS). Germany will need fossil energy sources to replace nuclear energy if this capacity is further limited, and at the same time the country needs to reach ambitious renewable energy targets. 

– Those people who oppose nuclear power will have to support other technologies, and given solar panels and wind parks won’t immediately suffice, carbon capture and storage will have to be developed, said Michael Schaefer, a Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst, according to Bloomberg.

Importantly for Germany, CCS is also the only way to radically cut emissions from several industries such as cement, steel, chemicals and fertilizers: The production processes of these industries release carbon dioxide as part of the production processes, independently of their energy use. As Germany moves towards a zero-emission economy, CCS will be increasingly instrumental for such industries.

EU legislation

The draft law will implement the EU directive on the geological storage of carbon dioxide. The European Union in November opened bids for an initial 4.3 billion Euro in aid to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground and to promote renewable energy to help fight global warming.

Merkel’s plan, which now goes to parliament, allows for carbon-capture pilot projects and calls for a review of the technology’s potential in 2017. State governments are given the right to veto projects.