A Comprehensive Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Removal Options for Germany

To reach their net‐zero targets, countries will have to compensate hard‐to‐abate CO$_2$
emissions through carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Yet, current assessments rarely include socio‐cultural or
institutional aspects or fail to contextualize CDR options for implementation. Here we present a context‐specific
feasibility assessment of CDR options for the example of Germany. We assess 14 CDR options, including three
chemical carbon capture options, six options for bioenergy combined with carbon capture and storage (BECCS),
and five options that aim to increase ecosystem carbon uptake. The assessment addresses technological,
economic, environmental, institutional, social‐cultural and systemic considerations using a traffic‐light
system to evaluate implementation opportunities and hurdles. We find that in Germany CDR options like
cover crops or seagrass restoration currently face comparably low implementation hurdles in terms of
technological, economic, or environmental feasibility and low institutional or social opposition but show
comparably small CO$_2$ removal potentials. In contrast, some BECCS options that show high CDR
potentials face significant techno‐economic, societal and institutional hurdles when it comes to the geological
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storage of CO$_2$. While a combination of CDR options is likely required to meet the net‐zero target in
Germany, the current climate protection law includes a limited set of options. Our analysis aims to provide
comprehensive information on CDR hurdles and possibilities for Germany for use in further research on
CDR options, climate, and energy scenario development, as well as an effective decision support basis for
various actors.