BIOENERGY CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE - BIOENERGY EXPLAINED 7
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CO2
ENERGY
BECCS
BIOENERGY EXPLAINED 7
BIOENERGY
CARBON CAPTURE
AND STORAGE
1
© 2019 Bioenergy Europe All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permission use Bioenergy Europe Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage Factsheet” at the address below, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. Cover image: courtesy of JAPAN CCS CO. Place du Champ de Mars 2A 1050 Brussels T : +32 2 318 40 34 info@bioenergyeurope.org www.bioenergyeurope.org
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With current CO2 emissions reaching a critical point, Bioenergy Carbon Capture and storage combines
decarbonisation is necessary to limit the raise in global biomass energy applications with the capture and
temperature and mitigate harmful climate-related storage of CO2 thus providing net removal of CO2
effects on the planet. Considering the urgency of the from the atmosphere. The best results in terms
task at hand, a drastic reduction of carbon emissions of mitigating climate change can be achieved if
must be complemented with options for greenhouse BECCS -solutions are used as an additional tool
gas removals. Different solutions can deliver negative to conventional mitigation - to be combined with
emissions: some of them are referred to as natural, a prompt scaling-up of bioenergy. As bioenergy is
others are technology based. In the first category integrated in numerous industrial sectors, bioenergy
afforestation and reforestation absorb CO2 through carbon capture and storage is a versatile technology
plant growth, modified agricultural practice can that can be applied to power generation (BECCS)
increase carbon storage in soil, thus removing it from and to different industrial installations (in cement,
the atmosphere (through incorporation of biochar in ethanol, pulp and paper among others) using biomass
soils for example). Among the most promising NETs, as feedstock. Sustainability of the biomass feedstock
Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is the used is paramount for BECCS to deliver negative
most mature and allows for the production of clean carbon emissions and the EU legislation provides the
energy coupled with the permanent capture of CO2. right tools to ensure this. Although already proven,
To reach Paris Agreement’s objectives a wise mix of technical complexities inherent to the technology
complementary solutions must have to be used. would require more R&I efforts, and thus further
public support and a dedicated legislative framework
facilitating its uptake and its economic profitability.
INTRODUCTION emissions technologies will have to be deployed to
offset unavoidable emissions and reach net zero GHG
emissions. This has also been recently recognised by
In combination with carbon capture and storage the Declaration on Nordic Carbon Neutrality, by which
technologies bioenergy has the potential to deliver Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark
negative emissions. Its deployment would be perfectly committed to intensify cooperation on a number of areas
in line with the achievement of the commitments including “bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) technologies,
taken in Paris and enable the transition to a carbon conducting research to resolve the remaining
neutral economy, keeping temperature from rising by technical challenges and developing business models
more than 1.5°C. Bioenergy Europe does not suggest for the implementation of CCS(Carbon Capture and
reliance on Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage Storage), CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation)”.4
technologies as an alternative to conventional
mitigation but, rather as an additional tool, which can A mix of timely measures and development of
be combined with a decisive scale up of bioenergy. technologies must be galvanized, such as a fossil fuel
phase out, an increased use of sustainable energy
IPCC1, IEA2 and the European Commission3 acknowledge sources and a comprehensive energy efficiency
that moving away from fossil fuels as soon as possible approach measures. Bioenergy with carbon capture
and removing some of the historical CO2 from the and storage (BECCS) is the most mature among the
atmosphere with natural solutions like afforestation key mitigation technologies to achieve negative CO2
and technological as BECCS is vital to achieve the emissions and can be scaled up at reasonable costs.5
goal of the Paris Agreement. Indeed, negative
3WHAT IS BECCS – WHAT BECCS is the most mature of the very few demonstrated
negative emission technologies.6 It combines biomass
IS BECCU AND WHY ARE energy applications with the capture and storage of
CO2 and has the potential to provide a net removal
THEY OFTEN MENTIONED of CO2 from the atmosphere. Energy production
TOGETHER? (electricity, heat and cooling) from sustainable
biomass is carbon neutral, because the carbon
released in the atmosphere during energy conversion
was first taken from the atmosphere during the phase
of photosynthesis.
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) In the case of BECCS, the CO2 is captured before
and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Utilization being released in the atmosphere, then transported
(BECCU) are often mentioned together. Although and permanently stored in a suitable geological
they are different technologies with different final formation. This establishes a negative flow of CO2
objectives, they both reduce emissions and can be from the atmosphere to the subsurface.7 Indeed,
used in combination to improve the economics of the through BECCS carbon is extracted from the carbon
projects. cycle, while at the same time avoiding the use of fossil
energy and the associated CO2 emissions.
BIOMASS
BIOFUELS ASBSORBING ELECTRICITY
& BIOFUEL CO2 & HEAT/COOLING
PRODUCTION PRODUCTION
CO2 CO2
COLLECTION & SEPARATION &
COMPRESSION COMPRESSION
CO2 STORAGE
Source: IEA (2017), Bioenergy Technology p.43
4Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Utilisation closes Product
the loop: it contributes to leaving fossil carbon in / energy
the ground, and closing the carbon loop above the
ground.10 ATMOSPHERIC CARBON
ELECTRICITY
FOSSIL CARBON
Source: IEA Bioenergy – Bio-CCS and Bio- CCU
Climate change mitigation and extended use of CO2
biomass raw material
UTILISATION
Heat and power pro-
duction
Biochar
+ carbon content in soil
BECCU uses CO2 as feedstock and converts it into it delivers other societal and environmental services,
value-added products such as synthetic fuels, as it helps:
chemicals, or food & beverage or building materials.8
Through BECCU the captured carbon from a biomass • Achieving a more efficient use of bioenergy while
energy conversion can be recycled via chemical or allowing for contributing leaving fossil carbon to
biological processes to form biochar, synthetic fuels, remain in the ground;
bulk and specialty chemicals as well as polymers, and • Supporting the circular economy by converting
construction materials through mineralisation.9 waste CO2 to added-value products;
• Developing industrial innovation and competitiveness
While BECCU is not a negative emission technology, by creating new market opportunities.
Main CO2 utilisation routes and applications
CARBON DIOXIDE, CO2
MINERALISATION CHEMICAL BIOLOGICAL
CONVERSION CONVERSION DIRECT
Construction materials UTILISATION
(concrete, aggregates) Greenhouses
Carbonates (precipitated Algae cultivations Food and beverages
calcium carbonate PCC) Biological methanation Industrial gas
Refrigerants
Working fluids
+ +H2 +H2 +N2 Solvents
pH control
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
POLYMERS FUELS & COMMODITIES Enhanced coal bed methane
Polycarbonates CHEMICALS recovery (ECBM)
“Renewable urea”
Polyols
METHANE METHANOL FORMIC ACID SYNTHESIS GAS
CH4 CH3OH HCOOH CO+H2
FISCHER-TROPSCH
SYNTHESIS
DIESEL,
MTBE* OLEFINS FORMALDEHYDE GASOLINE METHANOL,
GASOLINE,
DME** ETHANOL ...
OLEFINS ...
* METHYL-TERT-BUTYLETHER
** DIMETHYLETHER
5One of the key differences between BECCS and
BECCU is that the latter enables the economic use
of CO2, with temporary storage but with possible re- 2. CO2 COMPRESSION
emissions of CO2 at the end, while CCS technology
aims for a permanent underground storage of CO2, This phase is aimed at reducing the volume of CO2.
thus excluding its use. The CO2 rich stream is dehydrated, compressed (or
liquified) and transported to a storage site.
In certain systems, these technologies can be
combined by first making use of valorising the CO2
in a first step via BECCU, and then by storing the 3. CO2 TRANSPORT
CO2 emitted in a last step via CCS. Since BECCU is a
commercial technology, it can help the uptake of There are different CO2 transport options such as
BECCS if used in combination with it, helping to tick pipelines, shipping or even road transport. In most
the boxes of reducing CO2 emissions and contributing cases a mix of options is used as most storage sites
to the achievement of circular economy. are/will be located below the ocean.
4. CO2 Storage
There are different CO2 storage options such as:
• Saline aquifers (saltwater-bearing rocks unsuitable
HOW DOES for human consumption)
• Depleted oil and gas fields
BECCS WORK • Deep unmineable coal beds
• Mineralisation13
Bioenergy Carbon Capture and storage involves
four main steps: capturing CO2, compressing it,
transporting and finally storing it.
1. CAPTURING CO2
The first phase consists in capturing the CO2. This
process separates the CO2 from other components WHAT ARE THE
such as steam, nitrogen, sulphur and particles
to achieve the purest composition for transport SECTORS OF POSSIBLE
and storage. There are at least five possibilities of
achieving this in energy production from biomass: APPLICATIONS?
a. High concentration streams from industrial processes: Several industrial sector already benefit from bioenergy
purification of high concentration CO2 streams in their processes. Thanks to its dispatchability
(e.g. from ethanol). and versatility, bioenergy successfully meets the
b. Post-combustion: CO2 is removed from the exhaust temperature, pressure and quantity of thermal
gas through absorption by selective solvents. energy requirements of different manufacturing
processes. 7% of the global industry energy demand
c. Pre-combustion: The fuel is pre-treated and (204 Mtoe) was satisfied by bioenergy in 2017.14
converted into a mix of CO2 and hydrogen, from Switching from fossil fuels to biomass can help
which the CO2 is separated. The hydrogen is then decarbonise industrial processes. BECCS can be
used as fuel, or burnt to produce energy. therefore applied to various sectors and different
d. Oxy-fuel combustion: The fuel is burned with pure installations, such as:
oxygen instead of air, producing a flue stream of
CO2 and water vapour without nitrogen. • Biopower
e. Chemical-Looping-Combustion (CLC): The oxygen • Biomass-based Combined Heat and Power
needed for combustion is provided by a solid • Pulp and paper mills
oxygen carrier, thus avoiding contact between • Lime kilns
fuel and air. The solid oxygen carrier circulates • Iron and Steel industry (where pulverized coal
between a fuel reactor, where the oxygen carrier injection is replaced by torrefied pellets)
is reduced, and the biomass oxidized to CO2 and • Ethanol plants
H2O, then transported to the air reactor and • Fischer Tropsch diesel plants
oxidized to its original form before a new cycle is • Biogas refineries
started. CO2 capture is inherent to the process.12 • Biomass gasification plants.
6The implementation of BECCS also depends on of smaller in scale when compared to fossil-
technological advancements and progresses within based installations. This might be a barrier for the
the deployment of conventional CCS. While capturing achievement of economics of scale, especially in
CO2 from biomass conversion technologies may be the absence of clusters;
achieved with technologies that are very similar
to the ones used to capture CO2 from fossil fuels, • Although no particular technical restrictions
certain technical differences need to be considered to the capture of biogenic CO2 exist in energy
and further evaluated, such as: generation applications or industrial processes,15
the presence of impurities resulting from in
• Size and location of emission sources: biomass- the combustion process, ashes and flue gases
based installations are often decentralized and represents a further complexity in the process.16
MANURE,
BIODEGRADABLE FERMENTATION CO2 SEPARATION BIOMETHANE
WASTE
SUGAR, FERMENTATION CO2 SEPARATION H2O SEPARATION ETHANOL
STARCH CROPS
SOLID, PRE-TREATMENT LIGNIN
DRY BIOMASS & HYDROLYSIS
GASIFICATION WATER-GAS SHIFT
& CO2 SEPARATION HYDROGEN
OXYGEN
and/or STEAM
METHANATION SNG
DIESEL
FISCHER-TROPSCH GASOLINE
SYNTHESIS KEROSENE
METHANOL DME
OXYGEN SYNTHESIS GASOLINE
and/or STEAM
PRE-COMBUSTION
GASIFICATION CO2 CAPTURE COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION POST-COMBUSTION ELECTRICITY ELECTRICITY
CO2 CAPTURE GENERATION &/OR HEAT
AIR OXYGEN
OXYFUEL
COMBUSTION
AMMONIA
INDUSTRIAL
PROCESSES &
CEMENT
CO2 CAPTURE IRON & STEEL
REFINERIES
LEGEND
FEEDSTOCK
CO2 TRANSPORT
BIO-CHEMICAL CONVERSION & STORAGE
THERMO-CHEMICAL CONVERSION
CO2 CAPTURE
FUEL OR ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION
ABCD FINAL OUTPUT
Source: ZEP/EBTP 2012 7IS BECCS
IS THERE ENOUGH
SUSTAINABLE?
SUSTAINABLE BIOMASS
The biomass feedstock used must be sustainable
TO DEPLOY BECCS AT THE
for BECCS to deliver negative carbon emissions. In SCALE NEEDED?
the EU, thanks to the tight environmental legislative
framework and the sustainability criteria introduced by
the revised Renewable Energy Directive (2018 REDII)
as well as and the requirements of the Regulation on Bioenergy represents 63% of the renewable energy
Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), mix today and is one of the main drivers of a European
we can be sure that the biomass used and traded carbon neutral economy. A variety of biomass
is sustainably sourced. These criteria apply to for feedstocks is potentially available to serve as vectors
biomass used within the EU, irrespective of the of decarbonisation of fuel supply to release energy,
geographical origin of the biomass. An international such as:
alignment of regulations on this subject would help
improving the global sustainability performance of • Forestry residues: bark, small branches, thinnings,
biomass.17 residues from sawmills;
• Organic waste: waste wood, the organic fraction
According to the above-mentioned legislation, for of municipal solid waste, livestock manures,
biomass to be sustainable: sewage sludge, etc.;
• Energy crops: crops specifically grown for
• No land use change can occur because of
energy production (e.g. short rotation coppices,
agricultural and forest biomass production.
miscanthus and switchgrass);
Agricultural biomass cannot be grown in primary
and highly-biodiverse forests, grassland and • Agricultural residues: straw, prunings, nutshells,
land with high carbon stocks such as wetlands fruit kernels, etc.
and peatlands. For all types of biomass, net-
carbon emissions from land use change must be Scientific studies identify a substantial growth
accounted for under the greenhouse gas emission potential for biomass leading to 2050 - if the right
saving criteria. measures are put in place. A recent literature review
• Greenhouse gas emission savings must be concludes that sustainable biomass in the EU can
achieved.18 The GHG emission saving calculation reach potential of 406 Mtoe (17 EJ) by 2050. This
accounts for the lifecycle emissions of bioenergy would provide enough feedstock to triple the amount
production such as the transport and processing of bioenergy in the EU-28 energy mix.19
emissions and thus guarantees that the positive 800
effects of bioenergy in comparison to fossil fuels 737
are maintained in the future.
700
• Carbon stocks must be maintained. The 119
forest’s long-term production capacity must
be maintained or improved and LULUCF sector 600
emissions cannot exceed removals.
• Harvesting must be performed legally, 500
biodiversity and soil quality preserved to protect
areas designated for nature protection purposes 406
and to guarantee that forest regeneration takes 400
place. 444
300
Forest biomass
200 Agricultural biomass
169
143 Waste
40
17 Middle range
26 potential
100 174
124
100
0 5 Source: Faaij Study (2018)
2017 2050 2050
8 min maxintensive process and, as such, impacts the balance
of primary energy consumption and consequently
the profitability of power production. Still, the
IS BECCS efficiency losses can be partially recuperated with
combined heat and power production. Indeed, using
ECONOMICALLY the heat generated by capture can cover part of the
efficiency losses.23 As already mentioned, combining
VIABLE? BECCU and BECCS can also significantly improve
the profitability and efficiency of the projects.24
It could be in the future, if the right legislative,
investment and innovation support frameworks are in
place. The most significant challenges, along with the
high capital costs, concern technical aspects as well
as the energy efficiency aspect of the projects.
The first question is whether there is a credible carbon
/ CO2 price creating a price-based system rewarding ARE THERE
negative emissions. Studies suggest that a range of
55-248 euro per ton of CO220, 21 would make BECCS BECCS PROJECTS
economically profitable. A stable and robust carbon
price could send the right signal to carbon capture
IN OPERATION?
projects investor; and would also drive a decisive fuel
switch, much needed to achieve the Paris agreement’s
objectives. In the last 20 years, CCS projects have There are to date several small-scale demonstration
not progressed at the expected rate, so rethinking BECCS small scale demonstration projects in operation
the policy design supporting these technologies is around the world.25 In 2015, eight projects were in the
necessary for their successful deployment. evaluation stage of development.26 The ADM-owned
Illinois Industrial CCS Project is the first large-scale
Furthermore, one of the challenges lies in the size of project combining bioenergy production with CO2
biomass-combusting plants which, because located capture and storage. Operations started during the
in the proximity of biomass sources, do not reach first half of 2017 and the project will capture 1 MtCO2/
the critical size. For this reason, the CO2’s recovery year from the distillation of corn into bioethanol. The
costs are proportionally higher than in bigger power CO2 is then compressed, dehydrated and injected
plants.22 In general, the right business model would on site for permanent storage in the Mount Simon
need to be put in place. sandstone formation (at a depth of approximately
2.1km).27 In Europe, DRAX and C-Capture are piloting
Finally, when assessing the profitability of carbon the first BECCS facility in North Yorkshire, UK. The
capture, the overall efficiency of energy production £400,000 pilot plan aims at removing a tonne of
needs to be considered. The CO2 recovery is an energy carbon from its operations a day.28
GLOSSARY
Bio-CCS vs BECCS Both acronyms refer to Bioenergy Carbon Capture and storage. In scientific literature they are
often used interchangeably.29 In certain cases, the first one (BECCS) is used to refer to combination of Carbon Capture
technologies with power generation, while Bio-CCS to industrial applications.30 For the purposes of this paper only
the acronym BECCS will be used for both industrial and power and combined heat and power applications.
BIOCHAR Biochar is produced through pyrolysis — processes that heat biomass in the absence (or under reduction)
of oxygen. In addition to creating a soil enhancer, sustainable biochar practices can produce oil and gas by-products
that can be used as fuel, providing clean, renewable energy. When the biochar is buried in the ground as a soil
enhancer, the system can become “carbon negative.” In Tampere (Finland) the production of biochar has been
successfully combined with a district heating network which uses the waste heat of the plant. Since biochar is
used as a soil amendment it permanently sequesters carbon in the soil. The district heating is therefore carbon-
negative.31
9SOURCES
1. IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C, (2018) Summary for policy makers , p.16
2. IEA, Energy Technology Perspectives 2017, B2D scenario; Summary accessed on 19/12/2018
3. European Commission, 1.5TECH scenario, In-Depth Analysis of the Commission Communication COM (2018) 773
4. Declaration on Nordic Carbon Neutrality, Helsinki, 25 January 2019
5. Fuss et al. (2018), Negative emissions—Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects. Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 1, e5, 13 June
2018, p.9.
6. NETs include Ocean Fertilization, Direct Air capture and carbon storage, Enhanced weathering, use of biochar in top soils and afforestation
7. Pour et al., (2016) A sustainability framework for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technologies, p.6045
8. SAPEA (2018) Novel carbon capture and utilization technologies. P.10
9. VTT, BioCO2 project, Value chains and business potential for biobased-CO2 in circular economy, https://www.vtt.fi/sites/BioCO2/en/
background accessed on 11/01/2019
10. SAPEA (2018) Novel carbon capture and utilization technologies. p.8
11. VTT, BioCO2 project, Value chains and business potential for biobased-CO2 in circular economy https://www.vtt.fi/sites/BioCO2/en,
accessed on 11/01/2019
12. Mediara et al. ,(2017) Chemical Looping Combustion of Biomass: An Approach to BECCS 13th International Conference on Greenhouse
Gas Control Technologies, GHGT-13, 14-18, November 2016, Lausanne, Switzerland
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610217319392 accessed on 18/12/2018
13. Conversion of CO2 to solid inorganic carbonates using chemical reactions.
14. IEA (2018), MRSren18, p.142
15. Arasto (2014) Bio-CCS: feasibility comparison of large scale carbon-negative solutions
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876610214025260 accessed on 5/10/2018
16. Idem
17. Van Dam et al. (2010) From the global efforts on certification of bioenergy towards an integrated approach based on sustainable land
use planning, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2010, vol. 14, issue 9
18. 70% less GHG emissions than fossil fuels for installation entering operation in 2021, 80% for installations starting operation in 2026.
19. Faaij (2018) Securing sustainable resource availability of biomass for energy applications in Europe; Review of recent literature
20. Gough et al. (2018) Challenges to the use of BECCS as a keystone technology in pursuit of 1.5°
21. Other sources as the Climate Change Committee in the UK indicate that the use of BECCS for power generation could be cost-effective
at a carbon price of between £80-140/tCO₂ (in 2030 this would be in the UK Government’s Green Book carbon value trajectory).
22. CCSP, Finland, Final Report , p.16 accessed on 18/12/2018
23. Bui et al., (2017) Thermodynamic Evaluation of Carbon Negative Power Generation: Bio-energy CCS (BECCS), Energy Procedia Volume
114, July 2017, Pages 6010-6020
24. CCSP, Finland, Final Report , p.16 accessed on 18/12/2018
25. EASAC policy report, (February 2018) Negative emission technologies: What role in meeting Paris Agreement targets? p. 20
26. Kempner (2015), Biomass and carbon dioxide capture and storage: A review, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 40 ·
August 2015
27. IEA (2017) Technology Roadmap – Delivering Sustainable Bioenergy, p. 44
28. https://www.drax.com/press_release/drax-to-pilot-europes-first-carbon-capture-storage-project-beccs/ Accessed on 04/01/2019
29. See for example https://tyndall.ac.uk/publications/biomass-energy-carbon-capture-and-storage-beccs-or-bio-ccs or https://bellona.
org/about-ccs/carbon-negative
30. See for example file://sbs/Folder%20Redirection/giulia.cancian/Desktop/1-s2.0-S1876610214025260-main.pdf
31. https://www.tampere.fi/en/city-of-tampere/info/current-issues/2018/10/23102018_1.html
10NOTES
11Bioenergy Europe, formerly known as the European Biomass Association (AEBIOM), is the voice of the bioenergy sector at EU- level. It aims at developing a sustainable bioenergy market based on fair business conditions. Bioenergy Europe is a non-profit, Brussels-based international organisation founded in 1990, bringing together more than 40 associations and 90 companies. www.bioenergyeurope.org Place du Champ de Mars 2 1050 Brussels T : +32 2 318 40 34 info@bioenergyeurope.org 12
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