Recap: NEFI Technology Talk "Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage"

Significant progress in energy efficiency, electrification and the expansion of renewable energy is bringing climate targets within reach. However, this transformation alone is not enough to achieve true climate neutrality: viable solutions are also needed for those emissions that are technologically or economically difficult – or even impossible – to avoid, particularly in energy-intensive industrial processes. At the NEFI Technology Talk on April 3^rd, 2025 in Linz, the focus was on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) – a topic of growing importance in industrial transformation.

The event offered a high-level programme with presentations, discussions, and real-world examples. At the heart of it all was one key question: What role can CCUS play in the race to climate neutrality – and what does it take to unlock the potential of these technologies in Austria?

Following a welcome by Dr Gerhard Dell, Dr Jürgen Schneider, Head of Section IV "Climate" at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK), set the political stage with an update on Austria’s Carbon Management Strategy: the lifting of the ban on geological CO₂ storage in Austria would be an important first step towards creating a legal framework for "hard-to-abate" industries.

In-depth insights into technical and economic dimensions followed:

• Professor Dr Thomas Kienberger (Montanuniversität Leoben) spoke about the relevance of CCUS in industrial transformation,
• Dr Gerwin Drexler-Schmid (AIT) introduced the latest technologies for CO₂ capture and utilisation,
• Helmut Wernhart (AGGM) presented a potential CO₂ collection and transport network for Austria, and
• Dr Hans Böhm (Energy Institute at JKU Linz) analysed the economic potential.

Practical relevance was also front and centre:

• Dr Benjamin Müller-Wildenauer presented CCUS projects by the Rohrdorfer Group,
• DI Reinhard Oswald provided insights into OMV initiatives, and
• DI Valentin Ernst showed how CCUS can be applied in the waste management sector.

In the final panel discussion, moderated by Christiane Egger, OÖ Energiesparverband, key challenges such as infrastructure, financing, and societal acceptance were openly addressed. One thing became clear: CCUS is no longer a future scenario – it is a real, actionable solution that must be actively shaped now.

The morning concluded with many new impulses and valuable conversations over a shared lunch – true to the NEFI motto: Innovation meets industry.

We would like to thank all speakers and participants for their dedicated contributions and look forward to continued dialogue on implementing innovative solutions for the industrial energy transition.