Vorarlberg backs plan to lift Austria’s CO2 storage ban

Vorarlberg’s state government has welcomed a federal plan to lift Austria’s ban on underground carbon dioxide storage, but says the states should have a say in where storage projects are approved, ORF reported.

The federal government says a legal framework for capturing and permanently storing unavoidable emissions is needed to meet climate targets. A draft law to end the ban is under review.

Vorarlberg supports the proposal but warns that storage must not replace emissions cuts or a rapid shift away from fossil fuels. It also says the energy needed for storage must not come from fossil fuels or undermine the expansion of renewable energy.

The state wants a formal role in decisions on exploration rights, exploration permits and storage permits, saying this would help protect nature, land-use planning and tourism interests. Storage is more likely to take place in eastern Austria, particularly in depleted gas fields such as those in the Vienna Basin. Vorarlberg has few geological conditions suited to the methods currently used.

Austria introduced the ban in 2011, citing concerns about dangerous leaks, high costs and technology that was not sufficiently developed. Storage for research purposes remained permitted below 100,000 tonnes. A review in 2018 upheld the ban, but the draft law says scientific and technological conditions have since changed and that evidence now supports the feasibility and safety of geological storage.

Vorarlberg is calling for strict requirements, particularly for ongoing monitoring. The state government also stresses that storage cannot replace reducing greenhouse gas emissions.