To assess the pros and cons of BECCS deployment, numerical modeling approaches require techno-economic data related to different application areas of BECCS. By conducting a global expert survey, covering aspects of regional development potential, biomass use in BECCS, future operating costs, capture potential, and scalability in the agriculture and forestry sectors, this study aims to refine the modeling of BECCS in integrated assessment models (IAM), computable general equilibrium (CGE), or partial equilibrium (PE) models.
Important findings are:
- Geographic Implementation: BECCS facilities are expected to be primarily deployed in Europe and North America, particularly within the liquid biofuel industry and thermal power generation sectors.
- CO₂ Capture Potential and Cost: For thermal power generation, the capture potential of BECCS by 2030 is estimated to range between 50–200 MtCO₂/year while operating costs are projected to be between 100–200 USD per tonne of CO₂ captured.
- Regional Disparities: A noteworthy point from the survey is the significant differences in projections between experts from the Global North and the Global South. This highlights the importance of incorporating perspectives from both sides in discussions on carbon removal, as it could reveal additional promising regions and technologies for BECCS implementation.
The study emphasizes the need to broaden the scope of expert participation, especially from the Global South and China, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of BECCS deployment potential worldwide. Including these perspectives could uncover alternative strategies or application area that may play a pivotal role in carbon removal efforts, which would otherwise be overlooked if limited to expertise from the Global North.
- Heimann T, Wähling L-S, Honkomp T, Delzeit R, Pirrone A, Schier F, Weimar H (2025) Expert projections on the development and application of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage technologies. Environ Res Lett 20(2):024059, DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/ada16f
https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn069518.pdf
- Project:
The Bioeconomy and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (BioSDG)
