Capture the Opportunity
BECCS is the most scalable and affordable carbon removal technology available and can be deployed quickly — playing a key role in achieving net zero by 2050.
What is BECCS?
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage is the process of capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2) that is generated during the production of electricity from sustainable biomass.
This is the only carbon removal technology that also generates low carbon renewable power.
Why is BECCS important for decarbonisation?
Unlike the linear, irreversible process of emitting carbon from fossil fuels, sustainable biomass exists in a closed carbon cycle.
By adding carbon capture and storage technology, the carbon cycle is broken. Instead of being released into the atmosphere, carbon is transported and stored in a secure, geological formation underground, producing what’s known as an engineered carbon dioxide removal.
- How the technology could work
- How BECCS removes carbon
- How carbon is captured
- How carbon is stored
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is BECCS?
- How does BECCS achieve negative emissions?
- Is BECCS a proven technology?
- Is BECCS sustainable?
- How will the captured carbon be stored?
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BECCS is an innovative technology that has been developed to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
BECCS provides negative emissions, as well as stable, renewable electricity and will play a vital role in tackling the climate crisis and supporting energy security.
Negative emissions are created when you permanently remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than is created across your operations.
With BECCS, flue gases are produced when sustainable biomass is used to generate renewable electricity, these gasses are captured through a chemical reaction. The captured CO2 is then stored permanently in deposits such as saline aquifers found under the sea. The process of electricity generation becomes carbon negative, as more CO2 has been removed from the atmosphere than has been added.
Yes. Drax has been testing a number of carbon capture technologies since our first trial began in 2018.
Carbon capture technology is not new and has been used in the fossil fuel and oil & gas industries for many years. There are currently 26 CCS facilities operating worldwide, with a further 39 either planned or under construction.
Research commissioned by Drax shows there is enough sustainable biomass available globally to support BECCS projects to capture up to 4GT of CO2 without adversely impacting forest health, biodiversity or food security.
This is equivalent to four times the annual CO2 emissions from commercial aviation.
Learn more about sustainable biomass
Captured carbon can be safely and permanently injected deep underground into naturally occurring porous rock formations. The carbon is trapped in multiple ways:
- Structurally—animpermeable caprock above the reservoir stops CO2 migrating back to the surface.
- In solution — porous rocks often contain salty water which CO2 dissolves into.
- Residually — as tiny isolated bubbles in the pore space of the rock.
- As a mineral — CO2 can react with the surrounding rock creating new solid minerals.
Click to view/download.
BECCS is an innovative technology that has been developed to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
BECCS provides negative emissions, as well as stable, renewable electricity and will play a vital role in tackling the climate crisis and supporting energy security.
View MoreNegative emissions are created when you permanently remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than is created across your operations.
With BECCS, flue gases are produced when sustainable biomass is used to generate renewable electricity, these gasses are captured through a chemical reaction. The captured CO2 is then stored permanently in deposits such as saline aquifers found under the sea. The process of electricity generation becomes carbon negative, as more CO2 has been removed from the atmosphere than has been added.
View MoreYes. Drax has been testing a number of carbon capture technologies since our first trial began in 2018.
Carbon capture technology is not new and has been used in the fossil fuel and oil & gas industries for many years. There are currently 26 CCS facilities operating worldwide, with a further 39 either planned or under construction.
View MoreResearch commissioned by Drax shows there is enough sustainable biomass available globally to support BECCS projects to capture up to 4GT of CO2 without adversely impacting forest health, biodiversity or food security.
This is equivalent to four times the annual CO2 emissions from commercial aviation.
Learn more about sustainable biomass
View More
Captured carbon can be safely and permanently injected deep underground into naturally occurring porous rock formations. The carbon is trapped in multiple ways:
- Structurally—animpermeable caprock above the reservoir stops CO2 migrating back to the surface.
- In solution — porous rocks often contain salty water which CO2 dissolves into.
- Residually — as tiny isolated bubbles in the pore space of the rock.
- As a mineral — CO2 can react with the surrounding rock creating new solid minerals.
