The Confederation has just confirmed the first funding for a CO2 capture and storage (CCS) project through its ITINERO program, a strong signal for the entire Swiss carbon utilization sector. With a commitment appropriation of 1.2 billion francs through 2030 under the Climate and Innovation Act (in force since January 1, 2025), the program supports innovative decarbonization technologies for businesses. Direct applications have already mobilized nearly 80 million francs, primarily in chemicals and transportation.
The most significant case for WasteOlas is that of Regionalwerke Baden AG, selected following the CCS call for projects (21 pre-proposals, 17 retained, 3 full proposals) for requested support of 41.7 million francs, with BKW AEK Contracting AG, Linde Gas Schweiz AG, Airfix Carbon AG, and South Pole AG as partners. The project captures CO2 from the Otelfingen biomass plant: part will be permanently stored in European geological formations, the other used as carbon-neutral industrial gas to replace fossil CO2 sources. This is precisely the approach WasteOlas advocates: transforming local, biogenic CO2 into a valuable resource rather than simply waste to be buried. The fact that the Confederation is funding this technology in Switzerland for the first time validates both the market’s maturity and the strategic relevance of a local utilization approach.
The momentum is confirmed on the authorities’ side:
“The support program has generated strong interest and we are in close contact with industry regarding several other innovative and promising decarbonization projects.”Patrick Kutschera, Deputy Director and Head of the Renewable Energy Division (SFOE)
Beyond CCS, ITINERO also funds charging infrastructure for electric trucks (20 million francs, 118 applications submitted by mid-March 2026, program led by ASTAG and EBP) and risk coverage for public infrastructure such as district heating networks. For WasteOlas, the message is clear: structural public funding for local CO2 utilization is no longer a distant prospect but an operational reality, and each pioneering project like Otelfingen’s paves the way for a market that our approach is ready to address.
Article adapted from the original source: ITINERO Program: First Projects Receive Funding (March 31, 2026)
Authors/organizations: ITINERO Program, joint program of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), Swiss Confederation.
Rights: Official communication of the Swiss Confederation (admin.ch).