CO2 capture and storage (CCS)
As part of its long-term Climate Strategy 2050, Switzerland is focusing not only on reducing emissions as much as possible, but also on so-called negative emissions technologies (NET) with the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and its permanent storage (carbon capture and storage, CCS). The greatest overall NET potential is likely to be offered by the technical capture and geological storage of CO2which arises from industrial processes such as cement production or from waste incineration in waste incineration plants. MSW incineration plants are particularly interesting because a considerable proportion (approx. 50 %) of the CO2 is of biogenic origin.
The CO2 must be removed from the atmosphere and stored safely and permanently. The focus here is on deep geological repositories, for example in Norway.
Ecosens supports CCS projects at the feasibility stage in its role as environmental planner. The environmental compatibility and licensability of these projects are reviewed. The scope of the assessment includes the technical/chemical process of capture at the plant, conditioning and storage, loading and transportation of CO2.
The lawyers at Ecosens supported the industry association of operators of Swiss waste incineration plants (VBSA) in drawing up an agreement with DETEC that obliges the MSWI plants to invest in research and development of the key technology "carbon capture" in the long term and to produce the first CO2-separation plant into operation.
About the people:
Daniel Sabathy
Head of Department Environmental Planning
Dipl. natw. ETH (Biology)
Lorenz Lehmann
Managing Partner
lic.iur. University of Zurich, Attorney at Law
