Stockholm world’s first city to start capture and remove biogenic CO2 from the atmosphere

BECCS Stockholm is a large-scale Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) facility that Stockholm Exergi is building, integrated with the biopower plant in Värtan, Stockholm. With operations planned to begin in 2028, Stockholm will become one of the first cities in the world to capture biogenic CO₂ on a large scale – up to 800 thousands tons per year.

In June 2025, the project celebrated a ‘groundbreaking cermony’, in which, among others EU Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and Sweden’s Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari took the shovels in hand to kick off the start of the construction of the facility.

Other than fossil based carbon capture and storage (CCS), the case of BECCs is about actual Carbon Removal from the atmosphere. (see also our IEA Bioenergy Factsheet on the carbon cycle)

Biomass residues such as wood chips, branches, forestry and pulp and paper industry residues are transported by train or ship to the combined heat and power plant in Värtan where they are incinerated to generates district heating and electricity.  The carbon capture unit will then separate CO₂ from the flue gases, compress and cool it into liquid form and transport it to a permanent storage site deep beneath the North Sea. The CO₂ will be stored in sedimentary bedrock and gradually mineralize over time.

This facility marks a major milestone in enabling permanent carbon removal, supporting both Sweden’s and Europe’s long-term climate goals. It is worth mentioning that Stockholm Exergi has operated a test facility since 2019, laying the groundwork for this full-scale deployment.

In addition, the new plant will also be designed to harmonize with its surroundings, integrating seamlessly into the urban landscape.

The project is backed by three key funding sources:

• Swedish Government Support: Stockholm Exergi has secured over SEK 20 billion through the Swedish Energy Agency’s reverse auction for bio-CCS, to be disbursed over 15 years starting from the onset of geological storage.
• EU Innovation Fund Contribution. The project has received €180 million from the EU Innovation Fund, reinforcing its alignment with European climate ambitions.
• Carbon Credit Revenue
  Additional funding will come from the sale of carbon credits to companies aiming to offset their emissions.

This bulletin is a feature article from Task 36 (Material and Energy valorisation of waste in a Circular Economy) June 2025 newsletter. Tap here to read more.