Bioenergy With Carbon Capture And Storage Research Articles

Requirement on the Capacity of Energy Storage to Meet the 2 °C Goal

The inherent power fluctuations of wind, photovoltaic (PV) and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) create a temporal mismatch between energy supply and demand. This mismatch could lead to a potential resurgence of fossil fuels, offsetting the effects of decarbonization and affecting the realization of the Paris target by limiting global warming to below 2 °C in the 21st century. While application of energy storage is widely recommended to address this limitation, there is a research gap to quantify the impacts of energy storage limitation on global warming. Here, we analyzed the hourly variation of global wind and PV power during the period 1981–2020 and the monthly capacity of biomass production in 2019, and thus quantified the impact of decreasing the capacity of energy storage on global warming using a state-of-the-art Earth system model. We found that global warming by 2100 in the SSP1-2.6 scenario would increase by about 20% and exceed 2 °C without deploying energy storage facilities. Achieving the 2 °C target requires reducing power losses of wind and PV by at least 30% through energy storage. This requirement delivers to a cumulative storage capacity of 16.46 TWh using batteries during the period 2021–2100, leading to the international trade of cobalt and manganese across countries due to deficits of minerals at a country level. In the context of energy security, we highlight the importance of considering the limitations of energy storage and mineral shortage in the forthcoming policies of decarbonization.

Trade-offs in land-based carbon removal measures under 1.5 °C and 2 °C futures

Land-based carbon removals, specifically afforestation/reforestation and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), vary widely in 1.5 °C and 2 °C scenarios generated by integrated assessment models. Because underlying drivers are difficult to assess, we use a well-known integrated assessment model, GCAM, to demonstrate that land-based carbon removals are sensitive to the strength and scope of land-based mitigation policies. We find that while cumulative afforestation/reforestation and BECCS deployment are inversely related, they are both typically part of cost-effective mitigation pathways, with forestry options deployed earlier. While the CO2 removal intensity (removal per unit land) of BECCS is typically higher than afforestation/reforestation over long time horizons, the BECCS removal intensity is sensitive to feedstock and technology choices whereas the afforestation/reforestation removal intensity is sensitive to land policy choices. Finally, we find a generally positive relationship between agricultural prices and removal effectiveness of land-based mitigation, suggesting that some trade-offs may be difficult to avoid.

Global biomethane and carbon dioxide removal potential through anaerobic digestion of waste biomass

Anaerobic digestion is a bioenergy technology that can play a vital role in achieving net-zero emissions by converting organic matter into biomethane and biogenic carbon dioxide. By implementing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), carbon dioxide can be separated from biomethane, captured, and permanently stored, thus generating carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to offset hard-to-abate emissions. Here, we quantify the global availability of waste biomass for BECCS and their CDR and biomethane technical potentials. These biomass feedstocks do not create additional impacts on land, water, and biodiversity and can allow a more sustainable development of BECCS while still preserving soil fertility. We find that up to 1.5 Gt CO2 per year, or 3% of global GHG emissions, are available to be deployed for CDR worldwide. The conversion of waste biomass can generate up to 10 700 TWh of bioenergy per year, equivalent to 10% of global final energy consumption and 27% of global natural gas supply. Our assessment quantifies the climate mitigation potential of waste biomass and its capacity to contribute to negative emissions without relying on extensive biomass plantations.

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of CO2-Enabled Sedimentary Basin Geothermal.

The expansion of renewable energy and the large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) can decarbonize the power sector. The use of CO2 to extract geothermal heat from naturally porous and permeable sedimentary basins to generate electricity (CO2-plume geothermal (CPG) system) presents an opportunity to simultaneously generate renewable energy and geologically store CO2. In this study, we estimate the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of CPG systems through 12 scenarios in which CPG systems are combined with one of six CO2 sources (e.g., bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and iron and steel facilities) and operate in two geological settings. We find the life cycle GHG emissions of CPG systems ranging from -0.25 to -6.18 kg CO2eq/kWh. CPG systems can achieve the highest emissions reductions when utilizing the CO2 captured from BECCS. We evaluate uncertainty through a Monte Carlo simulation, demonstrating consistent net reductions in life cycle emissions and a local, one-parameter-at-a-time sensitivity analysis that identifies the CO2 capture capacity as the high-impact parameter of the results. Through the production of electricity, CPG systems can provide additional environmental benefits to the deployment of large-scale CCS.

Selected Aspects of Performance of Organic Rankine Cycles Incorporated Into Bioenergy With Carbon Capture and Storage Using Gasification of Sewage Sludge

Abstract The study aims to investigate the application of the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) in the bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) using gasification of sewage sludge. The tool used in the investigation is the aspen plus software with refprop property methods for calculating fluid properties. The reason for this study is that a detailed analysis of the proposed BECCS process flow diagram indicates that a certain amount of waste heat is available in the exhaust gas from the high-to-intermediate pressure gas turbine. Some of this energy can be used by applying expansion in a low-pressure turbine, optionally by applying regenerative water heating, which is then redirected to the combustion chamber, or finally by incorporating the ORC into the main cycle. For the ORC cycle, different configurations are studied, with regeneration and using different working fluids. For the highest efficiency of the cycle, the regenerative heating of high-pressure water is applied and a suitable ORC working fluid with optimal saturation parameters and mass flow is selected. Such modified proposed BECCS power plant hybrid systems with ORC are compared to the reference case with lower pressure expansion. A study of the heat duty and temperature distribution in heat exchangers is carried out. Five ORC fluids were investigated, namely ethanol, refrigerants R236ea, R245fa, R1233zd(E), and water, which gave a net efficiency of the whole power plant of 39.71%, 40.02%, 40.26%, 40.34%, and 39.35% respectively, while the proposed BECCS reference case gave 38.89%.

The role of bioenergy in Brazil's low-carbon future

The urgency of climate change requires a clear understanding of how global technological trends can alter a country's least-cost, low-carbon strategy (net-zero), considering its own advantages in terms of resources, existing knowledge, and energy facilities and converters. This study compares Brazil's least-cost strategies to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 with strategies based on the technological development patterns suggested by the most recent International Energy Agency's (IEA) net zero report, which are assumed to represent global trends in technology deployment for climate mitigation. Our study is based on the use of an Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) for Brazil. Four different mitigation scenarios are explored. Results show that the IEA technological profile deeply differs from a non-constrained technological deployment for Brazil, particularly in terms of the liquid fuels mix and the time of implementation of electric-driven mobility. In Brazil, biofuels use stand out as the least-cost solution to reach net zero emissions by 2050, mostly due to the use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which can slow down fossil fuel phase out in the country. Nevertheless, a hybrid strategy can include the use of ethanol or even hydrogen fuel cells in electric powertrains, though this would require further research and development.

Deploying direct air capture at scale: How close to reality?

The role of negative emissions in achieving deep decarbonization targets has been demonstrated through Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs). While many studies have focused on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), relatively little attention has been given to direct air capture (DAC) in IAMs beyond assessing the role of low-cost DAC with carbon storage (DACCS). In this study, we employ an economy-wide model to more fully explore the potential role of DAC, considering the full range of cost estimates ($180–$1000/tCO2), DAC units supplied by either dedicated renewables or grid electricity, and both the storage of captured CO2 (DACCS) or its utilization (DACCU) to produce fuels. Our results show that the deployment of DAC is driven by its cost and is dominated by DACCS, with little deployment of DACCU. We analyze the technical and policy conditions making DACCS compete with BECCS, investigating scenarios in which BECCS is limited and there is no emissions trading across countries. With an international emissions trading system (ETS), we find that Africa takes advantage of its large and cheap renewable potential to export emissions permits and contributes more than half of total global negative emissions through DAC. However, DAC also proves essential when no ETS is available, particularly in Asian countries due to scarce and expensive access to land and bioenergy. Our analysis provides a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of DAC on the power system, economy, and land use.

Waste-to-energy and waste-to-hydrogen with CCS: Methodological assessment of pathways to carbon-negative waste treatment from an LCA perspective

A growing global population and rising living standards are producing ever greater quantities of waste, while at the same time driving ever-larger demand for energy, especially electricity, or new emerging markets, such as hydrogen in more industrialised countries. A key solution to these challenges of waste disposal, rising energy and hydrogen demand is BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage); the generation of bioenergy – in the form of electricity (WtE) or hydrogen (WtH2), as well as heat – from the thermochemical processing of waste. The addition of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to WtE or WtH2 has the potential to make waste a zero or even negative emissions energy source, thus contributing to the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This work undertakes a pre-screening of different BECCS configurations based on state of the art technologies and then performed an assessment of representative cases in UK for WtE and WtH2, necessary to understand if novel waste thermal treatment processes may become potential alternatives or improvements to current WtE plants when retrofitted with CCS. A systematic and comprehensive examination of different key Life Cycle Assessment methodological aspects reveals the importance of the functional unit and allocation approach in determining the preferred pathway in a specific context.

Ambitious near-term decarbonization and direct air capture deployment in Latin America's net-zero goal

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommended more stringent climate mitigation strategies compared to the updated nationally determined contributions (NDC) presented by nations at COP27 to keep global warming temperatures below 2 °C. Given the unique geographical, political, and socioeconomic factors in different regions, it is imperative to evaluate diverse mitigation scenarios required to achieve global climate objectives. This study focuses on the Latin America and Caribbean region due to its vulnerability to global climate adversities and deteriorating climate conditions, notwithstanding its minor contribution to global emissions. Despite facing distinct climate changes, Latin America remains significantly understudied in the broader context of global climate research. The deployment of negative emission technology (NET) is crucial for achieving the end-of-century global climate goal of limiting global mean temperature to 1.5 °C and realizing regional net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets. Most countries in Latin America have established such targets for 2050. Among various NETs, Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) has recently gained research interests. This study examines the strategic implementation of NETs across the five socio-economic pathways (SSPs) to provide a comprehensive understanding of the uncertainties in regional mitigation actions and impacts on the intricate climate-energy-land-food-water nexus. In the scenario where emissions decrease by 56 % by 2030 compared to 2020 levels (NDC-56 %) on a net-zero trajectory, energy consumption under DACCS deployment is 13.1–36.2 % higher than without DACCS (between 2040 and 2100, across all SSPs). The energy demands of DACCS, especially in the aggressive NDC-56 % scenario place significant strain on energy resources, which is offset by fossil fuels. Under a globally co-ordinated climate policy and co-deployment of DACCS and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), the NDC-56 % scenario restricts global warming temperatures to 1.81–1.96 °C by 2100.

Climate vs Energy Security: Quantifying the Trade-offs of BECCS Deployment and Overcoming Opportunity Costs on Set-Aside Land.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) sits at the nexus of the climate and energy security. We evaluated trade-offs between scenarios that support climate stabilization (negative emissions and net climate benefit) or energy security (ethanol production). Our spatially explicit model indicates that the foregone climate benefit from abandoned cropland (opportunity cost) increased carbon emissions per unit of energy produced by 14-36%, making geologic carbon capture and storage necessary to achieve negative emissions from any given energy crop. The toll of opportunity costs on the climate benefit of BECCS from set-aside land was offset through the spatial allocation of crops based on their individual biophysical constraints. Dedicated energy crops consistently outperformed mixed grasslands. We estimate that BECCS allocation to land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) could capture up to 9 Tg C year-1 from the atmosphere, deliver up to 16 Tg CE year-1 in emissions savings, and meet up to 10% of the US energy statutory targets, but contributions varied substantially as the priority shifted from climate stabilization to energy provision. Our results indicate a significant potential to integrate energy security targets into sustainable pathways to climate stabilization but underpin the trade-offs of divergent policy-driven agendas.

Lost in the scenarios of negative emissions: The role of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can be a useful and cost-effective climate change mitigation tool but it is reliant on economic incentives. With this policy perspective article we question the ongoing discussion about the use of biomass for BECCS with basis in three points: (1) under the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris agreement, all parties to the agreement will use the same guidelines to estimate emissions by sources and removals by sinks, in which the emissions and removals in connection to cultivation of biomass are accounted for in the land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector, (2) adding carbon capture to existing processes may lead to a shift in products from that process rather than an increase in biomass use, and (3) BECCS requires substantial financial incentives. With basis in these points, we argue that a certification framework for BECCS that contradicts the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) risks unnecessarily hindering deployment of a potentially cost-effective climate change mitigation tool.

Techno-economic and life cycle assessment of the integration of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the polygeneration system (BECCS-PS) for producing green electricity and methanol

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) has the potential to produce negative emissions. This study assessed the overall energy efficiency and carbon dioxide (CO2) avoidance costs and emission footprint following the integration of BECCS with a polygeneration system (BECCS-PS) for the co-production of green electricity and methanol. The process was simulated in Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS v.11. Oil palm empty fruit bunches were used as the feed in a biomass integrated gasification combined cycle power plant. The flue gas, which contained CO2, was captured for methanol synthesis and carbon storage. Green hydrogen for use in methanol synthesis was produced through proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis powered by solar PV (PV-PEM) and geothermal power with double-flash technology (GEO-PEM). The environmental impacts of the process were investigated by a life cycle assessment and the economic aspects were evaluated using the levelized cost method. The overall system efficiency was higher in the PV-PEM scenario than in the GEO-PEM scenario. For any production capacities, the green electricity generated from the BECCS-PS plant resulted in negative emissions. A biomass power plant with a low production capacity generated higher production and CO2 avoidance costs than that with a larger production capacity. The CO2 − eq emissions and costs for methanol production in the PV-PEM scenario were larger than those in the GEO-PEM scenario, with values of -0.83 to -0.70 kg CO2 − eq/kg MeOH and 1,191–1,237 USD/ton, respectively. The corresponding values were − 1.65 to -1.52 kg CO2 − eq/kg MeOH and 918–961 USD/ton, respectively, for the GEO-PEM scenario.Graphical

Capacity gaps in land-based mitigation technologies and practices: A first stock take

Land-based mitigation technologies and practices (LMTs) reduce GHG emissions associated with land use and/or enhance terrestrial GHG sinks. This article investigates capacity gaps to successfully facilitate LMT adoption and/or scaling in the regions of Latin America, Europe, North America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. We look at LMTs such as agricultural land management, agroforestry, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), biochar, forest management, and peat/wetland management. We used a triangulation method based on literature review, an online survey, and semi-structured interviews with experts from Academia, Industry, NGOs, Local Communities and Government, to capture and analyze the most prominent capacity gaps by LMT and according to regional contexts. This approach identified ‘understanding’, ‘awareness’ and ‘economic/finance’ as the most important capacity gaps when it comes to LMT adoption and scaling across the aforementioned regions. A recommended first step for increased LMT adoption would be to address the knowledge and understanding capacity gaps, which, in turn, could help make LMTs more attractive to stakeholders. Policymakers in cooperation with other stakeholders might reflect on dedicated support policies and regulatory frameworks that level the playing field for LMTs (as compared to mitigation technologies and practices in energy and other sectors). Other good practice examples include market building for LMTs, using emerging carbon markets, designing bottom-up implementation plans in cooperation with local and Indigenous Peoples, increased ecosystems services payments and taking into consideration local and traditional knowledge for successful LMT adoption and scaling.

Bioenergy with carbon capture, storage and utilization: Potential technologies to mitigate climate change

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is gaining attention as an energy source and the most effective path to achieve negative CO2 emissions by photosynthesis and capturing CO2. However, BECCS has certain challenges and limitation which needs to be addressed to make the technology feasible. Concerns about food security, land, water use, and the possibility of large-scale implementation are critical in commercialization. As an emerging field, BECCS will need dynamic research and development over the next few decades, as well as strong policy backing, to clinch that it can be implemented on time for fulfilling the Paris agreement targets. The goal of this critical review is to find the impending obstacles that BECCS is facing, as well as the approaches to overcome them, while also emphasizing the advances in the field over the last decade. Detailed technology assessment is provided for a better understanding.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECSS): Life cycle environmental and economic assessment of electricity generated from palm oil wastes

Rapid deployment of negative emissions technologies (NETs) will be needed to help mitigate climate change. Among various NETs, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is seen as an option with multiple environmental benefits, including increasing the share of renewable energy while capturing carbon and providing an effective solution for waste management if waste biomass is utilised. This research presents the first environmental and economic sustainability assessments of BECCS utilising palm oil waste abundant in palm oil producing countries, such as Malaysia. The following five types of waste are considered: fronds, trunks, empty fruit bunches (EFBs), shells and fibres. Process simulation, techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) are combined to determine the life cycle impacts and costs of BECCS from cradle to grave. Two units of analysis are considered for both the impacts and costs: ‘generation of 1 MWh of electricity’ and ‘capture of 1 tonne of CO2’. The global warming potential (GWP) is net-negative for both functional units, ranging from −1270 to −1410 kg CO2 eq./MWh and −840 to −1729 kg CO2 eq./t CO2 removed, the latter depending on the credits for electricity generation. However, all other 17 impacts increase by 13–217% with the addition of CCS. The systems without CCS have net-positive GWP of 59–126 kg CO2 eq./MWh. Per MWh electricity, the system with fibres has the lowest and palm fronds the highest impacts for most of the categories considered; per tonne of CO2 removed, there is no clear feedstock preference. The levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) of BECSS plants are US$98–119/MWh, with fibres being the best and fronds the worst feedstock. Compared to the systems without CCS, the LCOE of BECCS are 3.6–4.1 times higher. The costs of BECSS per tonne of CO2 removed are US$66–74, with CCS contributing US$50–53/t CO2. Based on the current availability of palm oil wastes in Malaysia, the system could generate 7730 GWh/yr, boosting the national share of bioenergy by 7.6 times, while removing 12 Mt CO2/yr, equivalent to 10% of annual emissions from the electricity sector.

BECCS as climate mitigation option in a Brazilian low carbon energy system: Estimating potential and effect of gigatonne scale CO2 storage

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can lead to negative emissions, and is seen as an important option to decarbonize energy systems. Its potential decarbonization contribution depends on low-carbon resource availability, its ability to meet end-use demand and the geological storage potential to safely trap CO2. Here an energy system model is used to assess the BECCS decarbonization potential in Brazil, considering uncertainty in low-carbon biomass resources, and storage potential, injection rates and costs of CO2 storage, assessed in eight scenarios. A spatial explicit analysis is done to make improved estimates on the storage potential, injection rates, and costs for CO2 storage in the Rio Bonito saline aquifer of the Paraná basin.Although there are large differences in storage potential (12–117 Gt CO2) and costs (on average 5–15 $/t CO2), the accumulated volume of CO2 stored between 2010 and 2050 is 2.9 Gt CO2 for all scenarios, with injection rates around 240 Mt CO2 in 2050. This shows that BECCS is a cost-competitive option to decarbonize the Brazilian energy system, even under pessimistic estimates of CO2 storage potential and costs, and low biomass availability. The cheapest sink locations are selected, in the high development scenario. When CCS development is low, injection rates are the limiting factor. Locations are selected with the highest injection rates, even though sometimes more expensive. When CO2 storage is limited, total system costs increase, mainly because decarbonization of the industry and freight transport sector relies on more expensive decarbonization options such as green hydrogen.

The sequence matters: Expert opinions on policy mechanisms for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage

This paper presents the results of a globally distributed survey on policies for incentivizing bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). The current lack of policy incentives to support the implementation of BECCS constitutes a major deployment barrier. Therefore, scientists and policymakers are now debating the optimal BECCS policy framework. Previous studies have presented theoretical analyses of policy options to spur deployment, yet despite the considerable influence of experts on policy processes, very few studies have explored expert opinions. Drawing on an online survey of experts (N = 46), we explore their policy preferences and whether those preferences differ or converge between experts from different working sectors. The results show that a tax and refund scheme, a flat-rate subsidy, and reverse auctioning are considered more suitable than other measures. Furthermore, most experts agree that rather than a stand-alone policy, a policy mix would be needed in order to support BECCS deployment. Several experts propose a sequence of policies, moving from publicly funded supply-push policies in the short term to budget-neutral demand-pull policies in the longer term. Regarding various subsidy schemes, respondents favor investment subsidies or results-based subsidies based on stored biogenic carbon dioxide. The relatively minor differences in the response patterns between groups of experts suggest that a consensus on a preferred BECCS policy pathway might be forming across different sectors and interest groups. Therefore, our results could inform policymakers on policy instruments for BECCS that are considered most suitable by experts and thus help to shape the policy pathway for BECCS.

A machine learning approach for resource mapping analysis of greenhouse gas removal technologies

In this study, machine learning (ML) was applied to investigate the suitability of a location to deploy five greenhouse gas removal (GGR) methods within a global context, based on a location's bio-geophysical and techno-economic characteristics. The GGR methods considered are forestation, enhanced weathering (EW), direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and biochar. An unsupervised ML (hierarchical clustering) technique was applied to label the dataset. Seven supervised ML algorithms were applied in training and testing the labelled dataset with the k-Nearest neighbour (k-NN), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Random Forest algorithms having the highest performance accuracies of 96%, 98% and 100% respectively. A case study of Scotland's suitability to deploy these GGR methods was carried out with obtained results indicating a high correlation between the ML model results and information in the available literature. While the performance accuracy of the ML models was typically high (76 - 100%), an assessment of its decision-making logic (model interpretation) revealed some limitations regarding the impact of the various input variables on the outputs.

Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is considered to be a key technology for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, large-scale bioenergy crop cultivation results in land cover changes and activates biophysical effects on climate, with earth’s water recycling altered and energy budget re-adjusted. Here, we use a coupled atmosphere-land model with explicit representations of high-transpiration woody (i.e., eucalypt) and low-transpiration herbaceous (i.e., switchgrass) bioenergy crops to investigate the range of impact of large-scale rainfed bioenergy crop cultivation on the global water cycle and atmospheric water recycling. We find that global land precipitation increases under BECCS scenarios, due to enhanced evapotranspiration and inland moisture advection. Despite enhanced evapotranspiration, soil moisture decreases only slightly, due to increased precipitation and reduced runoff. Our results indicate that, at the global scale, the water consumption by bioenergy crop growth would be partially compensated by atmospheric feedbacks. Thus, to support more effective climate mitigation policies, a more comprehensive assessment, including the biophysical effects of bioenergy cultivation, is highly recommended.

Green and sustainable biomass supply chain for environmental, social and economic benefits

Bioenergy is a clean and renewable source of energy that can reduce global depency on fossil fuel, and it is a sustainable, economically viable, and socially acceptable. Bioenergy production aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) directly or indirectly. Bioenergy feedstocks are spatio-temporally distributed and, therefore, design of a green and sustainable Biomass Supply Chain (BSC) is pivotal for effective commercialization of bioenergy. The BSC starts with biomass harvest and includes collection, processing, storage, and transportation as intermediate processes and ends with biomass delivery at the conversion facilities. All these processes are spatially interlinked. Cost-effective bioenergy generation requires an effective and efficient BSC model. The absence of such model is the major cause of failure of bioenergy plants. With this backdrop, this paper reviewed literature related to BSC, and its elements. The elements are then linked with emissions, economy, and socio-cultural aspects to draw a wider picture of bioenergy for sustainable development. The challenges associated with bioenergy are elucidated with in-depth discussion. The analysis shows that green and sustainable BSC can be a major tool to achieve UN SDGs in many ways. On the contrary, present situation of BSC is challenging from multiple perspectives: environmental, socio-cultural, economic, policy, institutional as well as technological challenges. To achieve global deployment of bioenergy with net zero emissions target, use of advanced and emerging tools and techniques like artificial intelligence, machine learning, remote sensing & GIS, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is recommended.