Zurich city voters back new CO2 capture project

Voters in Zurich have approved plans for an innovative CO2 capture scheme at a sewage treatment plant in the city. Over 75% of voters came out in favour of the proposal on Sunday, with turnout at 44.9%. The climate project at Werdhölzli will cost CHF35 million ($41.16 million) in once-off expenditure and recurring expenditure of CHF14 million from 2028. The aim is to stop releasing CO2 from sewage sludge incineration into the air through the chimney and instead capture and liquefy it. The liquefied greenhouse gas will then be either stored in recycled concrete or transported to Denmark by lorry, train and ship, where it will be stored in the ground in the North Sea. The aim is to remove 25,000 tonnes of CO2 from the air each year. During the debate in the Zurich city council in June, there were also critical voices, mainly due to the export of CO2 to Denmark. If the Werdhölzli project is a success, a similar scheme would one day follow at the Hagenholz waste incineration plant ...