Is there a difference between CO2 sequestrating and avoiding (Kyoto)?
There is indeed an important difference. The aim of the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol is to help developing countries avoid coal-fired CO2 emissions by building for instance a solar instead of a coal-fired power station, financed by a developed country, which then uses these CDM certificates to subtract the “avoided CO2” from its own emissions. This mechanism was later extended to individual CO2 emitters. Present EU legislation restricts these CDM certificates obtained in developing countries to 22% of total emissions of a certain EU emitter. A 400MWel GreenTower power station in Namibia with a plant load factor of 90% thus avoids/neutralizes for instance the CO2 emissions of a 400MWel coal-fired power station in Germany, if it were fully financed by this emitter. To illustrate the difference of direct sequestration we look at a power plant of German utility RWE, where according to 2007 announcements CO2 will be separated from the flue gases before or after combusti
