Umweltbundesamt (UBA)
ongoing
Ramboll, Enverum
Thermal waste treatment plants (TWTPs) contribute to the safe disposal of non-recyclable waste and to energy generation. However, the process produces unavoidable fossil CO2 emissions.
In view of national climate targets and the goal of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, the decarbonisation of thermal waste treatment is becoming increasingly important. The capture, processing, and utilisation or storage of CO2 (CCU/S) are a key technical option for this. To date, there has been no systematic, plant-specific assessment of the technical potential, energy integration, regulatory framework, and realistically achievable reduction effects.
On behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency, Prognos is therefore working with Ramboll and Enverum to determine the potential for decarbonising thermal waste treatment in Germany through the use of resource-saving and energy-efficient CO2 capture and processing technologies.
The study examines both technically realistic capture rates and regulatory and systemic requirements, and on this basis derives recommendations for action for plant operators and the public sector.
In the study, we analyse:
We are tackling the project in four work packages:
This will result in:
Project team: Dr Bärbel Birnstengel, Sebastian Lübbers, Yanik Moldt, Dr Fabian Muralter, Jutta Struwe
Last update: 14.04.2026
Project Manager
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