BECCUS and Carbon Management – Status and Prospects

Role of BECCUS in climate-neutral energy systems

Achieving climate neutrality requires both deep emissions reductions and large-scale carbon dioxide removals. In this context, bioenergy with carbon capture, utilization and storage (BECCUS) can contribute through two complementary pathways: BECCS, which delivers permanent carbon removals and negative emissions, and BECCU, which provides sustainable carbon for fuels, chemicals and other carbon-based products.

IEA Bioenergy strategic BECCUS project

Since 2019, IEA Bioenergy runs a strategic project on BECCUS and carbon management. Across three phases, the focus has evolved from technical feasibility and early demonstration (Phase I), to system integration, climate impacts and deployment pathways (Phase II), and further towards sustainable carbon management, biochar considerations, and the long-term role of carbon dioxide removal (Phase III).

Market development: Opportunities and challenges

Key biogenic CO₂ sources include biomass power and CHP plants, waste-to-energy facilities, biogas and bioethanol plants, and emerging biorefineries. While carbon utilization pathways such as e-fuels and e-chemicals remain important, recent years have seen a marked shift towards permanent geological storage of biogenic CO₂. This reflects growing demand for negative emissions in national climate strategies, voluntary carbon markets and efforts to address residual emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.

International experience demonstrates increasing interest in BECCS deployment, particularly in Europe, where several large-scale projects are under development. At the same time, a number of BECCU projects have faced delays or cancellation due to immature markets for low-carbon fuels and products.

Overall, BECCS is emerging as a key pillar of climate-neutral energy systems and future carbon management strategies, while BECCU can play an important complementary role in enabling circular carbon flows and sustainable fuel production. Large-scale deployment will depend on effective policy support, viable business models, and the development of shared CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure.

This article by Task 40 (Biobased Deployment and Carbon Management) is featured as a colour article in the Annual Report 2025. Read more on page 19.

Authors: Christiane Hennig¹, Nora Lange¹, Karin Pettersson²

¹DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum, Germany; ²RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Sweden

Figure 1: Distinguishing carbon dioxide capture and removal – biogenic CO2 capture and fossil CO2 capture (Based on: Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy, 2020).