A Critical Survey of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)

Abstract

AbstractRising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are still a global concern. International organizations have indicated that to meet the 2 °C thresholds until 2100, carbon-negative technologies must be employed. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is one of the options to offer reduced fossil-based CO2 emissions from a variety of industries and sectors. This promises the significant potential to remove atmospheric CO2 at a comparable cost to conventional carbon capture and storage technologies while producing energy. From a technical standpoint, BECCS is referred to a group of technologies utilized to produce energy from biomass and storing CO2 simultaneously. Substituting fossil fuels with biomass offers the possibility to utilize the carbon in the atmosphere for power generation. While BECCS might be a promising technology in theory, it has its own pros and cons which has made it one of the most controversial technologies to fight climate change. This chapter aims to investigate the advantages and the shortcomings of BECCS, from carbon removal efficiency and economic feasibility to scale-up issues associated with it. The urgency of the climate issues has created a political drive for environmental technologies like BECCS which might not be well-established. Also, the public perception of such technologies could promote or hinder their deployment in various parts of the globe. In addition, the deployment of BECCS cannot take place in isolation, and detailed investigations addressing the undeniable links within the food-water-energy-climate nexus will be required.KeywordsCarbon capture and storage (CCS)BioenergyBiomassNexus