CO2_{2} capture and storage at power stations. Summary

About one third of global CO2 emissions are due to fossil-fuelled power plants. Recently, the option of capturing the carbon dioxide produced there and storing it underground has been discussed very controversially. Suitable processes could be ready for large-scale use in about 15 to 20 years. However, there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge before we can answer the question of whether carbon capture and storage can actually be a viable climate protection option. Which are the technologically most efficient processes, how high are the CO2 savings potentials, how great are the safety risks and environmental impacts emanating from CO2 storage facilities, how high are the costs of these technologies? The overarching question is whether the concept of CO2 capture and storage can be integrated into the structure of the energy system and whether it can compete with other CO2 mitigation options (energy efficiency, renewables). In this volume, the current state of knowledge and discussion is reviewed and options for a societal debate - keyword acceptance - and adequate legal framework conditions are developed

Status quo and perspectives of the military use of unmanned systems. Summary

Unmanned systems (UMS) have become comprehensively and firmly established in many armed forces. They open up cost, effectiveness and security advantages in important dimensions of the military capability spectrum or open up new options on the battlefield. These include, for example, longer missions compared to manned systems, reduced risk to soldiers or the possibility of comprehensive reconnaissance in high-risk operational environments. The development of EMS is linked to advances in numerous fields of technology and opens up economic potential that goes beyond the military sphere. However, at the latest since thousands of airborne armed drones were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, EMS are also associated with challenges in terms of security, arms control policy and international law. The TAB report describes the state of development and military use of unmanned air, land and sea systems in the national and international context and provides an overview of current and future key technologies for the development of EMS. In addition, it addresses the economic dimension of unmanned systems in the defence and civilian submarkets of the national and international economic system, in order to analyse the civilian innovation and deployment potential of EMS on this basis. The report also places unmanned systems in the legal framework provided by arms and arms export control treaties as well as international legal norms and takes stock of the current treaties with regard to their relevance for EMS in order to conclude by identifying the need for political and social information and discussion

Load-following capability of German nuclear power plants. Summary

How flexibly can nuclear power plants be operated? Is their operation compatible with high fluctuating feed-in from from renewable energies? These questions wer Against this background, TAB was commissioned in 2010 to review and concisely summarise the state of scientific knowledge and the current debate. The disaster in Fukushima in spring 2011 and the subsequent upheavals in the German energy system considerably reduced the priority of this study and made the original schedule obsolete. Nevertheless, the results are still interesting: On the one hand, the analyses presented here on the requirements that a dynamic expansion of fluctuating renewable energy generation places on the conventional power plant fleet are still highly relevant. On the other hand, the questions examined here arise with great urgency in other countries (e.g. France, England). e the subject of a controversial debate in politics, science and the public from 2010 onwards. The occasion was the energy concept of the then Federal Government, which envisaged an extension of the operating lives of German nuclear power plants

Autonomous weapon systems. TAB-Fokus

Robotic weapons systems that can select and engage targets without any human intervention are standing on the edge of being tangibly implemented. Proponents of this development expect decisive military and possibly even humanitarian benefits from such autonomous weapons systems. Critics, however, raise concerns over whether it would be ethically justifiable, politically responsible and legally allowed in compliance with (international) law to delegate the decision on the life and death of human beings to machines. Moreover, the development and possible use of AWS might entail some risks with regard to security policy. Within the framework of the TA project a broad analytical approach has been followed and a wide range of aspects regarding the topic have been examined. TAB\u27s policy brief in English TAB-Fokus no. 26 summarizes the key results of the TA project and provides an overview of technological developments, security policy implications, ethical arguments and issues in humanitarian law

Energy consumption of ICT infrastructure

Due to omnipresent digitisation, the energy consumption of information and communication technology (ICT), i. e. of digital end devices, data centres and telecommunications networks, is becoming more and more important. Between 2015 and 2020, the annual energy demand of data centres and transmission grids in Germany increased by around 5.4 TWh. This corresponds to an increase of 30 %. Existing efficiency and saving potentials must be consistently tapped in order to slow down the current growth in consumption. In the TAB report, blockchain applications, private internet use and smart energy management in buildings have been examined in depth

CO2_{2}-Abscheidung und -Lagerung bei Kraftwerken. Sachstandsbericht zum Monitoring “Nachhaltige Energieversorgung”

Etwa ein Drittel der globalen CO2-Emissionen geht auf das Konto von fossil befeuerten Kraftwerken. In jüngster Zeit wird sehr kontrovers die Option diskutiert, das dort entstehende Kohlendioxid aufzufangen und im Untergrund abzulagern. Geeignete Verfahren könnten in etwa 15 bis 20 Jahren großtechnisch einsatzreif sein. Es bestehen aber noch erhebliche Wissenslücken, bevor man die Frage beantworten kann, ob die Abscheidung und Lagerung von Kohlendioxid tatsächlich eine tragfähige Klimaschutzoption sein kann. Welches sind die technologisch effizientesten Verfahren, wie hoch sind die CO2-Einsparpotenziale, wie groß sind die Sicherheitsrisiken und Umweltauswirkungen, die von den CO2-Lagern ausgehen, wie hoch sind die Kosten dieser Technologien? Übergreifend ist zu fragen, ob das Konzept der CO2-Abscheidung und -Lagerung in die Struktur des Energiesystems integriert werden und es mit anderen CO2-Minderungsoptionen (Energieeffizienz, erneuerbare Energien) konkurrenzfähig sein kann. In diesem Band werden der aktuelle Wissens- und Diskussionsstand aufgearbeitet sowie Optionen für eine gesellschaftliche Debatte – Stichwort Akzeptanz – und adäquate rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen entwickelt

Military use of space and possibilities for arms control in space. Summary

The high relevance of technology for security policy and the role of modern armed forces is undisputed. New technologies make it possible to increase the quality and combat effectiveness of weapon systems and open up new types of options for action for politics and the armed forces. It is to be expected that the use of improved and expanded technological options will continue to have a decisive impact on the role and options for action of the armed forces, the stability of the state system and ultimately on warfare in the coming years. This also and especially applies to the scientific and technical developments in the field of military use of space. On the initiative of the Subcommittee on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment commissioned TAB to prepare a status report on the topic of "Military Use of Outer Space and Possibilities for Arms Control in Outer Space". Using the example of space armament, the TAB report deals with the interplay between technological dynamics and political and military goals and models. From the point of view of arms control policy, it analyses the possibilities of stopping or limiting such developments, which could develop into a danger to the security and stability of the international system of states. For a long time now, space has been a place of operation for military systems. About 170 purely military satellites orbit the earth and fulfil functions such as reconnaissance, early warning, communication and control for the armed forces. Now there are signs of a threshold being crossed in the military use of space: In the future, weapons systems could be developed to operational maturity, the stationing of which on Earth or in space could initiate a spiral of the arms race. Dynamics of technology, challenge of arms control Not least because of new technical possibilities, space is increasingly being ascribed a key function from the point of view of military planners, but also from the security policy of the militarily leading nations. Worldwide, spending on military research and development in concepts, technologies and systems is growing. In strategies, doctrines and planning, the use of space for security purposes is becoming a central element. The USA is the most important driver of this development. Space is increasingly seen there as a key civil and military resource with the highest priority. Its military use opens up numerous options for gaining and securing information sovereignty, for prevention, for deterrence and for warfare that are attractive in the perception of the military and politics. Threats and capabilities: the doctrine of "space control As early as 2001, a high-level commission headed by current Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld had placed US national security interests in space among the "top national priorities" and recommended that the US develop the means to deter or defend against hostile attacks in and from space ("space control"). These means included weapons stationed in space. Plans and statements of the Bush administration tie in with this and indicate an increased interest in the military use of outer space. Achieving "space superiority" is considered both a goal and a key aspect in the transformation of the US armed forces. Military space technology and weapon systems From a political and military perspective, new technologies play the key role in achieving the desired goals and capabilities of the armed forces. In particular, "space control capabilities" and increasingly "space force application capabilities" are based on the premise of advanced technologies and systems. For numerous military operational areas, this basis is therefore actually being created through increased research, development and demonstration activities. A look at the military R&D planning of the United States provides a picture of the promotion and targeting of enabling technologies. In space transport, efforts are being made to improve propulsion technology. A long-term goal is a "space plane" whose operation can be similarly functional and adapted to the situation as that of an aircraft. In satellite operations, the development of small satellites is a conspicuous trend. Highly manoeuvrable microsatellites or service robots open up new military deployment options in the fight against foreign satellites. From a political and military perspective, new technologies play the key role in achieving the desired goals and capabilities of the armed forces. In particular, "space control capabilities" and increasingly "space force application capabilities" are based on the premise of advanced technologies and systems. For numerous military operational areas, this basis is therefore actually being created through increased research, development and demonstration activities. A look at the military R&D planning of the United States provides a picture of the promotion and targeting of enabling technologies. In space transport, efforts are being made to improve propulsion technology. A long-term goal is a "space plane" whose operation can be similarly functional and adapted to the situation as that of an aircraft. In satellite operations, the development of small satellites is a conspicuous trend. Highly manoeuvrable microsatellites or service robots open up new military deployment options in the fight against foreign satellites. Of utmost importance are efforts in research and development for the deployment of operational weapon systems. Currently, there are no known deployed space-based weapon systems. However, there are a number of systems in the research and development stage: for use in space, such as "killer satellites", which could be a first step towards achieving the desired goal of comprehensive "space control"; from space, such as space-based laser weapons or kinetic energy weapons to engage targets on Earth; and for use into space, such as ground- or air-based laser weapons or ground-based "kill vehicles" to engage satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Arms control for space - a "mission impossible"? From the point of view of arms control policy, the tendencies described above give cause for concern, as it becomes clear that the existing instruments of space law and the existing arms control agreements are not suitable for slowing down, let alone preventing, a further militarisation of outer space. In view of the hardened fronts between the USA and the other actors, it may seem utopian to discuss arms control policy action perspectives for outer space in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. On the other hand, we know from experience that political framework conditions are constantly changing both nationally and internationally. Efforts to make initially small advances, such as confidence- and security-building measures, should therefore be continued. To this end, TAB has developed options and put them up for discussion