Options for regulating CO₂ pipelines and underground CO₂ storage facilities in Switzerland

Together with Frontier, BAK and VISCHER, we were commissioned by the FOEN to analyze the regulatory options for the CCS ramp-up in Switzerland in a study. In order to achieve the goal of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, the capture and storage of difficult-to-avoid emissions (CCS) at point sources will be required in future. According to the Federal Council, CCS technology is to be scaled up from 2031 so that 7 Mt CO2-eq can be captured from industry and waste incineration plants (WIPs) by 2050. The ramp-up of these new CCS value chains is associated with various risks that need to be addressed in the regulatory framework. As it is more favourable in the medium term from the perspective of industrial emitters to acquire the price for emissions via the purchase of emission rights than to rely on CCS, funding is required for the ramp-up of these value chains.