Key Facts
• August 6, 2025: Merz administration approved a bill for large-scale CCSU implementation.
• CCSU allows CO2 separation and storage underground, reducing atmospheric emissions.
• Germany’s 2012 law permitted CCS experiments but banned commercial use and CO2 transport.
• Former Minister Habeck shifted from opposing to supporting CCSU in 2022.
• CCSU to be applied to industries like cement, lime, and waste incineration.
• Controversy: CCSU allowed for natural gas plants but banned for coal-fired plants.
• Minister Reiche plans 20 million kW of new natural gas plants by 2030.
• Environment Minister opposes CCSU for natural gas plants, citing high costs and inefficiency.
• Norway may store Germany’s CO2 in its seabed via pipelines.
• Germany aims for climate neutrality by 2045, earlier than the EU’s 2050 target.
Summary
Germany’s Merz administration faces internal conflict over the use of carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCSU) technology. While the government approved a bill to enable large-scale CCSU, disagreements persist over its application to natural gas power plants. Economic Minister Reiche supports CCSU for natural gas plants to ensure energy stability, planning significant capacity expansion by 2030. However, Environment Minister Schneider opposes this, citing inefficiency and high costs. Critics argue CCSU prolongs fossil fuel dependency, conflicting with Germany’s climate neutrality goal by 2045. The debate highlights tensions within the coalition government and raises questions about Germany’s energy transition strategy.
