Brandenburg state premier plans to speed up controversial CO2 infrastructure plans - report
Tagesspiegel Background / rbb
The German state of Brandenburg, which surrounds the capital Berlin, plans to quicken the controversial capturing, transport, storage and utilisation of CO2 to pave the way for cutting emissions at a cement plant in the region, reports energy and climate newsletter Tagesspiegel Background. State premier Dietmar Woidke, a Social Democrat (SPD), plans a task force modelled on the decision-making that allowed the speedy construction of the Tesla factory in Brandenburg, according to the report. The aim is to unite all decision-making levels and relevant planning authorities in a working group to accelerate the transformation of a plant by Mexican cement manufacturer Cemex. Carbon capture, its storage and its use (CCS and CCU) will be addressed and discussed in the task force, a spokesperson told the newsletter. "We want the whole thing to become climate neutral as quickly as possible," said Woidke during a recent visit to the plant, according to broadcaster rbb. According to Woidke's plans, the emissions from the cement plant could be stored geologically in Poland, the article said.
In Germany, gas grid operator Open Grid Europe (OGE) is planning a nationwide, 1,500-kilometre CO2 transport network with connections to several European neighbours. This grid is set to connect the Cemex plant, as well as an Arcelor Mittal steel plant, and lignite-fired power plants in the Lusatia region. OGE called for rapid legal clarity on the transport of CO2, which is set to be defined in the country’s delayed CO2 storage law, which parliament will debate after the summer recess.
The Greens, who are in a coalition with Brandenburg’s SPD, criticised Woidke’s "solo effort without prior consultation", according to the article. "We would have preferred a joint approach, especially on the sensitive issue of CCS," criticised Antje Töpfer, the Greens' lead candidate for the state elections at the end of September. She added the planned task force ignored the fact that the state's climate plan envisages discussing CCS with the affected population and environmental organisations.
