Germany ’s federal cabinet has approved sweeping legislation to speed up the development of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure, marking a major push to support emissions-heavy industries and meet its 2045 climate neutrality goal.
The bill declares CCS infrastructure to be in the “overriding public interest,” allowing for accelerated permitting, streamlined planning, and even state acquisition of land for pipeline construction — with compensation.
It also opens the door for existing natural gas pipelines to be repurposed for CO2 transport, limiting the need for new builds.
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Under the new law, companies in sectors like cement, lime, and gas-fired power will be allowed to store captured carbon either beneath the seabed offshore or onshore, provided regional governments grant approval.
The plan aims to make carbon storage more accessible to industries with limited alternatives for deep emissions cuts.
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However, it exclusively prohibits CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants to be stored underground.
The reform goes further than earlier proposals that failed to advance under the previous government, broadening the scope of CCS deployment and aligning policy with Germany’s longer-term climate ambitions.
Germany’s share of the North Sea could hold between 1.5 billion and 8.3 metric billion tons of CO2, with the government estimating it could store up to 20 million tons annually under the plan.
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