Address from the Minister Mona Neubaur
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Greeting to the Conference
Dear Participants,
Achieving a climate-neutral industry is no easy task. The goals are ambitious: North Rhine-Westphalia wants to become Europe’s most modern and climate-friendly location for industrial production. At the same time, the world has become increasingly uncertain, and our industries face numerous challenges, of which climate change is just one. Against this backdrop, transformation should be seen as a driver for modernizing our location, enabling us to achieve new competitiveness.
For this it is important not to lose track and to look at all the options available. Green hydrogen and CCU are certainly among them. Even though CCU might not be the panacea for all industries due to high energy intensity and high costs, it will play a key role in a sustainable carbon economy that we that we are starting to ramp up now. It can become a major pillar of a defossilised chemical industry and combined with biogenic and atmospheric carbon sources, not only contribute to reach net zero, but also to realise negative emissions. Ramping up the hydrogen economy will also be essential for achieving climate neutrality and ensuring that North-Rhine – Westphalia will maintain its role as an important energy region with a strong, competitive and innovative industrial landscape. This includes both the import and the local production of green hydrogen.
Yet important questions remain: How can we ensure that CCU is applied in the most sustainable way? Which technologies are the most promising? What can we learn from real world applications? What support is needed to scale up CCU in the areas most needed?
NRW wants to lead the way in these areas of action. We are currently setting up three CCU model regions, which are being funded by my ministry, and further innovative project ideas are emerging, which I hope will be implemented in the near future.
With its numerous topics, including sustainability, research, and innovation, this conference will also make an important contribution to answering some of these questions. With this in mind, I wish you all a productive and inspiring conference.