Join OGE on the path to climate neutrality!

We support you and the transformation of the energy system with our own CO₂ transportation infrastructure.

Climate protection and the needs of industry – we combine the two

We build infrastructure for the transportation of CO2, thereby facilitating a comprehensive Carbon Management. Carbon management is the final building block for achieving climate targets. In future, carbon flows and cycles must be managed accordingly in order to prevent or compensate for CO2 emissions. In this context, we move CO2 from the place of its capture to the destination of its further use or storage.

This way, we combine our efforts towards climate protection with the economic and ecological interests of our customers.

To achieve sustainable climate protection in line with the Paris Agreement on international climate protection (COP21) and the German climate protection goals, we need renewable energies, green gases, and avoidance or compensation of CO2 emissions. To intensively support this, OGE is providing a hydrogen infrastructure.

Nevertheless, in a number of industrial production processes CO2 emissions are unavoidable 1: Cement, lime and glass production or waste recycling, for example, will have to emit CO2 in the future, even if it has switched to renewable energies 2, 3, 4. Conversely, the entire organic chemical industry with its downstream value chains needs carbon as a raw material 5. In the medium to long term, there will be a need for so-called negative emissions, i.e. CO2 must be actively removed from the atmosphere and then permanently stored. This can be done naturally (via reforestation and dilution of peatlands) or technically analogue to the CCS process.

Carbon Management

Offsetting of CO2 emissions through the purchase of CO2 certificates can only be a long-term perspective for avoidable and residual emissions. For unavoidable emissions, a circular economy centered around CO2 can be an efficient alternative for climate protection and for businesses 6. In addition, the integration of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies opens up the possibility of realising long-term negative emissions by actively removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

Earth’s atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere is composed of nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and trace gases

CO2 emissions

Industry, mobility, waste incineration, and energy production contribute to the increase in CO2 emissions. Carbon management measures are therefore essential to reduce CO2 levels and achieve climate goals.

Carbon Capture and Usage (CCU)

Carbon Capture and Usage utilizes captured CO2 for industrial processes, reducing and delaying CO2 emissions and promoting a CO2 circular economy.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Carbon Capture and Storage captures CO2 at the point of emission and stores it safely. This prevents an increase in the atmospheric CO2 level.

CO2 Usage (CCU) 

In the CO2 Usage with biogenic CO2, the atmospheric CO2 level remains stable. Since the CO2 is removed from the atmosphere for use, a CO2 cycle is created.

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR)

Carbon dioxide removal technologies extract CO2 directly or indirectly from the atmosphere, reduce the CO2 content and thus make it possible to offset residual emissions and achieve negative emissions.
  • CO2 capture instead of CO2 emission
  • Use as a raw material in a CO2 circular economy or long-term binding in products
  • CO2 storage

What does OGE achieve through transportation of CO2?

By transporting CO2 between its capture and utilization or its storage, we support the long-term, climate-neutral management of this greenhouse gas 7, 8.

Unavoidable CO2 emissions

In spite of all the measures towards decarbonisation, there are still unavoidable CO2 emissions in branches of industry that do not have alternative processes, products and resources for the same use case. 

CO2 capture

Unavoidable CO2 emissions from industry are collected largely through CO2 capture – either from the air or directly at the source of the emissions. 

CO2 transportation

OGE transports the captured CO2 through its pipeline infrastructure: for use as part of Carbon Management, either in the circular economy or for storage. 

CO2 utilization

CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization) refers to the usage of previously captured CO2.
 In the long term, carbon or hydrocarbons will still be needed in a climate-neutral system; for example, for air and sea transport or for the chemical industry. For this, the recycling of products containing carbon is becoming ever more important.
 But because the need cannot be met through recycling alone, additional CCU measures must be applied. In the glossary, you will find further examples of use of CO2.

CO2 circular economy

Recycling of emitted CO2 results in a circular economy. This circular economy is a key element for a competitive transformation of value chains. A circular carbon economy like this makes it possible to combine climate protection and resource conservation. 

CO2 storage

The CO2 can also be transported to the place where it is to be stored.
 As a general rule, CO2 can be stored as soon as it is captured (CCS Carbon Capture and Storage), as well as after capture and usage (CCUS Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage).

CO2 Removal

CO2 removal, also known as Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), refers to techniques that aim to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere or from renewable bio-based sources. Unlike CCS or CCU processes, which mostly work with CO2 from fossil fuels, CDR methods result in net-negative emissions. This is achieved by actively binding more CO2 than is emitted.  In addition, carbon farming approaches play an important role in the area of CO2 removal and increasing carbon sequestration in natural sinks. Through land use, land use change and forestry (LULUFC), CO2 can be captured and stored. Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), on the other hand, combines the production of bioenergy from biomass with the subsequent capture and storage of the resulting CO2.

Sources

1 Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (ed.) (dena, 2021). “dena-Leitstudie Aufbruch Klimaneutralität”, p. 19. 

2Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (ed.) (dena, 2021). “dena-Leitstudie Aufbruch Klimaneutralität”, p. 136.

3Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (ed.). (2021). Kohlenstoff kann Klimaschutz - Carbon Management Strategie Nordrhein-Westfalen, p. 39.

4Fraunhofer ISI, Fleiter, T., Rehfeldt, M., Manz, P., Neuwirth, M. & Herbst, A. (2021, December). Langfristszenarien für die Transformation des Energiesystems in Deutschland 3 - Treibhausgasneutrale Hauptszenarien, Modul Industrie, p. 83.

5 Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (ed.) (dena, 2021). “dena-Leitstudie Aufbruch Klimaneutralität”, p. 137. 

6Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (ed.). (2021). Kohlenstoff kann Klimaschutz - Carbon Management Strategie Nordrhein-Westfalen, p. 36.

7Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (ed.) (dena, 2021). “dena-Leitstudie Aufbruch Klimaneutralität”, p. 13.

8Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (ed.). (2021). Kohlenstoff kann Klimaschutz - Carbon Management Strategie Nordrhein-Westfalen, p. 36.