6Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage
Biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) refers to technologies designed to use biomass to remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere and store it safely deep underground, sometimes creating energy as a byproduct.
BECCS, which is a related bioenergy technology with carbon capture and storage, always includes the production of energy, while BiCRS focuses primarily on the biomass carbon removal. Both solutions tend to use agricultural waste products as the biomass input for their processes.
Source: The Royal Society of Chemistry
How BiCRS works
- Biomass, e.g., waste products like almond skins, peach pits, and rice hulls, is collected at a processing plant
- Biomass is burned to create energy and its carbon emissions are captured at the point source and buried deep underground
- The captured carbon can also be used for an array of products including biochar, fuel, plastics, and more.
How BECCS works
- Follows the same basic process as BiCRS, but focuses on producing bioenergy
Increasingly, the industry is shifting to using BiCRS terminology instead of BECCS when referring to biomass carbon capture and storage. This technology is relatively developed compared to many other CDR approaches. For example, five plants around the world were capturing 1.5 Mt of CO2 per year as of 2019. Today, there are additional plants in operation and more are in development for the coming years.
BiCRS varies in its durability, financeability, scalability, and equity. Each of these factors plays a key role in BiCRS capacity to contribute to restoring our climate. As a result, the carbon burden depends on these factors and the variables described below.
Durability
After CO2 is captured from emissions generated through burning biomass, it can be utilized in a growing number of ways, which determines its long-term durability. Highly durable uses of CO2 include 1) pumping it into underground rock formations where it binds with the rock, e.g., basalt, to be stored for centuries (this is the most common), and 2) transforming CO2 into synthetic limestone aggregate used to form low-embodied concrete; the second most consumed material on earth after water.
Financeability
BiCRS costs are determined by the cost of biomass inputs, the cost of storing or converting processed CO2, and the amount of revenue that can be generated from energy production and/or other byproducts. In many regions, energy produced through BiCRS is more costly than some alternative sources, which makes it a less attractive option. For example, although Direct Air Capture (DAC) is more costly today, it is expected to decrease sharply in cost as the technology improves in the years ahead. BiCRS, however, is likely to remain near its current cost of $60-250/ton.
Scalability
One of the key constraints in scaling BiCRS is the availability of biomass to use as inputs. Scaling up these solutions could result in growing crops specifically to be used in BiCRS processes, which could compete with land needed for agriculture or habitats. If
BiCRS were to use only waste biomass, its maximum scale is expected to be around 5.2 Gt per yr of CO2.
Equity
BiCRS can be implemented equitably –– when project developers work hand-in-hand with stakeholders in local and at-risk communities to ensure they are aware of the potential benefits, burdens, trade-offs, and safeguards needed to protect against unforeseen circumstances or unjust outcomes. Locating BiCRS plants should take into account proximity to biomass sources and to underground rock formations appropriate for long-term carbon storage. Equitable deployment can be advanced by prioritizing projects that benefit these local communities through job creation, reducing air pollutants, and allocating a portion of the profits to support these communities.
