Hamburg's garbage becomes climate neutral: CCS technology revolutionizes waste!

Hamburg's garbage becomes climate neutral: CCS technology revolutionizes waste!

Hamburg city cleaning has set itself ambitious goals: the company wants to be climate-neutral by 2035. A crucial part of this project is the use of “Carbon Capture and Storage” (CCS) technology, which is used to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO₂). A pilot project for CCS technology is already being implemented, which those responsible see as a promising initiative to reduce emissions. The world reports that Hamburg's waste incineration plants will play a central role in this.

The current city cleaning fleet still largely consists of diesel vehicles, but the first electric garbage trucks have been in use since 2023. The conversion of the vehicle fleet is a further step towards more environmentally friendly waste management. Increasing efficiency and using new technologies should help achieve ambitious climate goals.

Keep an eye on waste incineration

Hamburg's waste incineration plants, especially those on Rugenberger Damm and Borsigstrasse, are central linchpins for sustainable waste management in the city. Each of the three thermal waste treatment plants has an annual capacity of up to one million tons of waste and also produces large amounts of CO₂. However, the use of CCS technology is intended to help liquefy this CO₂ and transport it away using a special process.

In order to meet this challenge, the city cleaning service is installing the CCS technology in its facilities after the successful completion of the pilot test. The goal is clear: the transformation to resource conservation, which also includes the possibility of recycling CO₂ (CCU). However, there is currently no mature infrastructure for the disposal of carbon dioxide in Germany, which poses significant challenges. Transport options such as pipelines or rail transport are under discussion - an area that requires a clear legal framework so that city cleaning can invest in the technology.

The financial burden of emissions

Another aspect is the CO₂ taxes, which currently amount to 55 euros per ton. As a result, waste treatment becomes more expensive and the city of Hamburg also has to bear a certain amount of responsibility. While emissions from organic substances are treated more favorably in emissions trading, the responsible environmental authorities classify greenhouse gases from waste incineration as “unavoidable emissions”. Despite this challenge, the city cleaning department already supplies around half of Hamburg's district heating from its systems, which represents a significant contribution to the urban heat supply.

With all of these measures, Hamburg shows that the city not only values ​​climate protection, but is also willing to invest in innovative technologies. However, it remains to be seen how quickly and efficiently these plans can be implemented. The early implementation of CCS could certainly be seen as pioneering work in Germany and could set a precedent for other cities and municipalities.