Skip to content
ContentLora

    Tip: press / anywhere to search.

    technology

    BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage)

    Also known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, BioCCS

    BECCS covers technologies that turn biomass into energy and capture and store the resulting CO2 underground, so carbon the plants took from the air ends up in rock.[1] It is the second-largest novel removal method, at about 0.51 million tonnes in 2025, and dominates purchase contracts, but sustainable biomass supply sharply limits how far it can grow.[2][3][4]

    Editor reviewedUpdated WikiClimate science and carbon removal, Energy and climate, Science
    Key facts

    What it is

    Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is an umbrella term for technologies that use biomass for energy conversion combined with carbon capture and geological storage.[1] It counts as carbon dioxide removal because the carbon in the biomass was taken from the atmosphere and is then stored durably.[5] Bioethanol plants with CCS are commercially deployed, biomass combustion with CCS is at demonstration stage, and gasification routes are less mature.[1]

    Scale today

    BECCS removed about 0.51 million tonnes of CO2 in 2025, second only to biochar among novel methods, from three facilities, all US ethanol plants.[2][6] Output dipped because ADM’s Decatur, Illinois facility paused CO2 injections in October 2024 after fluid migration was detected in the storage reservoir; it resumed in September 2025.[7]

    On the market side, BECCS dominates. Of 30.2 million tonnes of novel removal contracted in 2025, 20.8 million tonnes were BECCS.[3] CDR.fyi data show biomass-based methods made up 96% of durable purchase volume in 2025, with BECCS leading.[8] Most of those contracts are for removals that will happen in the future.[3]

    Biomass routes also took one of the biggest deals after Microsoft’s reported pause in April 2026. In May, Microsoft agreed to buy 650,000 tonnes of removal credits from BioCirc, which captures CO2 from Danish biogas plants that turn agricultural waste into methane and stores it offshore.[9][10]

    Flagship project: Beccs Stockholm

    Stockholm Exergi is building a BECCS plant at its bioenergy plant in Stockholm. Sweden approved just over SEK 20 billion in support, paid for up to 15 years once geological storage begins, which is planned for 2028.[11] In September 2026 the company reported the foundations complete and the plant rising above ground, and it expects 7.83 million tonnes of CO2e removed in its first ten years.[12] The State of CDR report notes that Stockholm Exergi raised $0.5 billion of debt for the project in 2025.[13] The plant is also a yardstick. Frontier estimates that biomass carbon removal could reach 1–5 billion tonnes a year at $60–200 per tonne if feedstock is sustainably sourced, but 1 billion tonnes would take about 1,250 plants of Stockholm Exergi’s size.[14]

    Costs and limits

    Cost estimates diverge: the IPCC gives $15–400 per tonne and the IEA puts current costs at about $75–300.[15] The bigger constraint is biomass. Technical potential estimates span 0.5–11 billion tonnes a year by mid-century, but a planetary-boundary analysis found only 0.1–0.9 billion tonnes from dedicated plantations if farmland stays in food production.[4]

    Accounting is another issue. One whole-system lifecycle estimate found net emissions rather than removal for a bioethanol facility once co-products were counted.[16] The State of CDR report explains that this value implies 1.68 tonnes of CO2 emitted for each tonne captured. It adds that replacing the fossil fuels used in ethanol production with low-carbon energy would significantly improve net removal.[17] The State of CDR report lists sustainable biomass sourcing as an open quality problem for BECCS and biochar.[18] These questions are covered in the carbon removal credibility debate.

    Next in the crash course

    Climate & carbon

    Enhanced rock weathering

    Enhanced weathering spreads crushed rock on farmland to lock up CO2. How it works, field-trial evidence, potential, and why measuring it is hard.

    Developing in Science & Energy

    Questions readers ask

    How does BECCS remove carbon?

    Plants absorb CO2 as they grow; BECCS converts that biomass into energy and captures and geologically stores the CO2 instead of releasing it.[1]

    How much does BECCS remove today?

    About 0.51 million tonnes of CO2 in 2025, from three operating facilities, all US ethanol plants.[2]

    Why can't BECCS scale indefinitely?

    Biomass needs land. A planetary-boundary analysis put sustainable potential from dedicated plantations at 0.1–0.9 billion tonnes a year by mid-century, far below technical estimates of up to 11 billion.[4]

    Has CO2 storage from BECCS ever had problems?

    Yes. ADM's Decatur, Illinois facility paused injections in October 2024 after fluid migration was detected in the reservoir, resuming in September 2025.[7]

    Can a BECCS plant emit more than it captures?

    The State of CDR report says some bioethanol plants with CCS may be net emitters; one whole-system estimate implies 1.68 tonnes emitted per tonne captured once co-products are included. Using low-carbon energy in the plants would significantly improve net removal.[17][16]

    Sources

    · 21 claims from 7 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      BECCS is an umbrella term for technologies that turn biomass into energy and capture and geologically store the CO2; bioethanol with CCS is commercial (TRL 9) while biomass combustion with CCS is at demonstration stage (TRL 7). confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    2. [2]

      BECCS removed about 0.51 million tonnes of CO2 in 2025 from three operating facilities, all US ethanol plants. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    3. [3]

      Contracted volumes of novel CDR reached 30.2 million tonnes in 2025, almost four times 2024, led by BECCS at 20.8 million tonnes; most novel credits are still ex ante, meaning the removal will happen in the future. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    4. [4]

      Literature estimates of BECCS technical potential span 0.5–11 billion tonnes of CO2 a year by mid-century, but a planetary-boundary analysis put sustainable potential from dedicated plantations at only 0.1–0.9 billion tonnes. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    5. [5]

      Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) means human activities that capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it durably in geological, land or ocean reservoirs, or in products. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    6. [6]

      Biochar removed an estimated 1.46 million tonnes of CO2 in 2025, nearly three-quarters of all novel removal. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    7. [7]

      ADM's bioethanol CCS facility in Decatur, Illinois paused CO2 injections in October 2024 after fluid migration was detected in the storage reservoir, and resumed in September 2025; the State of CDR report attributes the 2025 dip in BECCS removals mainly to this pause. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    8. [8]

      In 2025 biomass-based removal (BiCRS) made up 96% of durable CDR purchase volume and 91% of deliveries, with BECCS leading purchases and biochar leading deliveries. confirmedas of 2026-06-12

    9. [9]

      In April 2026 Heatmap News and Bloomberg reported that Microsoft was pausing future carbon removal purchases; Microsoft said it may "adjust the pace or volume" of its procurement. confirmedas of 2026-04-16

    10. [10]

      In May 2026, weeks after the reported pause, Microsoft agreed to buy 650,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits from BioCirc, which captures CO2 at Danish biogas plants and stores it offshore; Microsoft's chief sustainability officer said its carbon removal programme had not ended. confirmedas of 2026-05-20

    11. [11]

      Sweden approved just over SEK 20 billion in support for Stockholm Exergi's BECCS plant, paid over up to 15 years from the start of geological storage, which is planned for 2028. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    12. [12]

      Stockholm Exergi reported in September 2026 that the foundation of Beccs Stockholm was complete and the plant was rising above ground; it expects 7.83 million tonnes of CO2e removed in the first ten years. confirmedas of 2026-09-04

    13. [13]

      In 2025 Stockholm Exergi financed a new BECCS project with $0.5 billion of debt, according to the State of CDR report. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    14. [14]

      Frontier estimates biomass carbon removal and storage, including BECCS and bio-oil injection, could reach 1–5 billion tonnes a year at $60–200 per tonne if feedstock meets sustainable sourcing criteria; 1 billion tonnes would take about 1,250 plants the size of Stockholm Exergi's. confirmedas of 2026-06-17· interpretation

    15. [15]

      The IPCC gives a BECCS cost range of $15–400 per tonne of CO2, and the IEA puts current costs at around $75–300 per tonne. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    16. [16]

      A whole-system lifecycle estimate cited by the State of CDR report found net emissions, not removal, for one bioethanol BECCS facility once co-products were included. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    17. [17]

      The State of CDR report says some bioethanol facilities with CCS may be net emitters, with the -68% lifecycle value meaning 1.68 tonnes of CO2 emitted for every tonne captured, and that switching the plants' fossil energy to low-carbon energy would significantly improve net removal. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    18. [18]

      The State of CDR report lists open problems for novel CDR quality, including sustainable biomass sourcing for BECCS and biochar, permanence of storage, measurement of enhanced weathering and ocean alkalinity enhancement, and lifecycle emissions of energy-intensive DACCS. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    19. [19]

      Solid-sorbent and mineral-looping direct air capture are commercially deployed (TRL 9), liquid-solvent systems are at pilot scale (TRL 6–7), and electrochemical regeneration is earlier (TRL 4–6); all are energy intensive. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    20. [20]

      Enhanced weathering spreads crushed rock, usually silicate rock on farmland, to speed natural reactions that take up CO2; the reactions take months to centuries, and readiness estimates range from TRL 3–4 (conservative) to 8–9 (suppliers). Most applications use farmland, where acidic soils speed up reactions and existing supply chains can distribute the rock. confirmedas of 2026-06-01

    21. [21]

      Frontier is an advance market commitment that aims to accelerate carbon removal technologies by guaranteeing future demand for them. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    Revision history (2)
    1. Page created.
    2. Refresh: added the net-emitter finding, Microsoft's BioCirc biogas deal, Frontier's biomass scale estimate and Stockholm Exergi's financing; re-verified State of CDR excerpts against the PDF.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage)." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/beccs

    Spotted an error? Suggest a correction or emailcorrections@contentlora.com.

    Connections
    Direct air capture Alternative methodEnhanced rock weath… Alternative methodFrontier Buyer coalition
    ☰ Contents