Evolution patterns of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) from a science mapping perspective

Abstract

Negative emissions technologies (NETs), which remove and isolate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, are expected to play a significant role in mitigating climate change. As one of the most promising NETs, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) methods, which captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from bioenergy plants and then stores them in geological reservoirs, are being widely used in climate change scenarios. With the increased focus on mitigating solutions, several concerns have been raised regarding the deployment of BECCS. As no science mapping analyses of evolutionary BECCS patterns have yet been made, this study sought to determine these evolution patterns using a systematic analysis approach based on science mapping and visualization analyses. Under a longitudinal framework, the conceptual BECCS evolutionary track was determined using SciMAT to elucidate the structure and dynamic aspects of the associated scientific research. The co-word network and thematic evolutionary analysis revealed five main BECCS related themes. While this study provides a systematic study of BECCS research and development, further research should continue to focus on techno-economic analyses and the ecological and environmental impacts (land-use, water, diversity, and bioenergy crops) of BECCS. An increased research focus on the emerging biochar and hydrogen production themes is expected.