Around 130 guests from politics, industry and society discussed the challenges and opportunities of CO₂ management in North Rhine-Westphalia at the second Ruhr Energy Policy Dialogue, which took place on 7 May 2025 at the Zeche Zollverein in Essen. The centrepiece was a panel discussion on the privately planned CO₂ infrastructure, which is intended to connect emitters with storage facilities and users. The organiser Open Grid Europe (OGE) explained that close cooperation between grid operators, industry and politics is necessary. OGE sees itself as a connecting element and strategic partner along the entire CO₂ value chain.
Background
The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is endeavouring to make the state climate-neutral by 2045. Industry on the Rhine and Ruhr has committed itself to this goal and is working intensively on converting its production. In so-called „hard to abate“ sectors such as the cement and lime industries, the transition is particularly challenging. Here, carbon management should make a contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions. A key challenge is to store the captured CO₂ or transport it for further use and to create the necessary political framework conditions. OGE plans to develop an infrastructure solution in the form of a CO₂ network that connects emitters with storage facilities and users.
Framework conditions are crucial
Participants in the discussion included Dr. Thomas Hüwener (OGE), Malte Bornkamm (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy), Dr. Steffi Ober (NABU) and Thorsten Hahn (Holcim Germany). Hüwener emphasised that external factors are crucial for the ramp-up of carbon management and drew parallels with the hydrogen core network. From OGE's point of view, the coalition agreement sends the right signals and can now create the conditions for carbon management. With the right political and legal framework and attractive investment conditions, a CO₂ transport network could be made possible.
Focus on the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act
There was a consensus that swift action was needed on the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act (KSpG) and the ratification of the London Protocol. A solution for transporting the gas by pipeline must be found for cement production, which produces around 3.8 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. Holcim Germany pointed out that a pilot project with OGE in Lägerdorf near Brunsbüttel was already planned.
There was a controversial discussion about the acceptance of the overriding public interest in the KSpG. While NABU expressed the view that ecological interests might be neglected, OGE explained that these concerns would be carefully discussed and weighed up as part of the prescribed planning approval process.
