Biomass carbon removal and storage

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Biomass carbon removal and storage (frequently abbreviated as BiCRS) is a family of technologies for Carbon dioxide removal, which collect biomass (such as agricultural waste or biproducts of biomass energy systems) and sequesters that carbon through a permanent or semi-permanent method of storage. [1] [2] The family of technologies is often compared with direct air capture. [3] Unlike direct air capture that use human engineered technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (which is expensive and energy intensive), BiCRS technologies rely on photosynthesis of plants and then engineering solutions for taking the carbon-rich residue of that plant life and sequestering it. [3]

Contents

BiCRS technologies introduce a number of challenges for carbon dioxide removal, including uncertainty about measuring sequestration of buried biomass, andcomplexity in sourcing biomass (it introduces additional demand for agricultural land and organic bioproducts). [3] [4] Researchers and policy think tanks like World Resources Institute recommend policy that put limits on which kind of biomass can be used for these process. [4]

The family of technologies is a major part of the Frontier Climate advanced commitment purchase portfolio, including companies like Charm Industrial and Vaulted Deep. [1]

Technologies

BECCS

This section is an excerpt from Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.[ edit ]
Example of BECCS: Diagram of bioenergy power plant with carbon capture and storage. Diagram-of-Bioenergie power plant with carbon capture and storage (cropped).jpg
Example of BECCS: Diagram of bioenergy power plant with carbon capture and storage.

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is the process of extracting bioenergy from biomass and capturing and storing the carbon dioxide (CO2) that is produced.

Greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy can be low because when vegetation is harvested for bioenergy, new vegetation can grow that will absorb CO2 from the air through photosynthesis. [6] After the biomass is harvested, energy ("bioenergy") is extracted in useful forms (electricity, heat, biofuels, etc.) as the biomass is utilized through combustion, fermentation, pyrolysis or other conversion methods. [7] Using bioenergy releases CO2. In BECCS, some of the CO2 is captured before it enters the atmosphere, and stored underground using carbon capture and storage technology. [8] Under some conditions, BECCS can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. [8]

The potential range of negative emissions from BECCS was estimated to be zero to 22 giga tonnes per year. [9] As of 2024, there are large-scale 3 BECCS projects operating in the world. [10] Wide deployment of BECCS is constrained by cost and availability of biomass. [11] [12] : 10  Since biomass production is land-intensive, deployment of BECCS can pose major risks to food production, human rights, and biodiversity. [13]

Biochar carbon removal

This section is an excerpt from Biochar carbon removal.[ edit ]
Biochar applied to the soil in research trials in Namibia Biochar Application.jpg
Biochar applied to the soil in research trials in Namibia
Biochar carbon removal (also called pyrogenic carbon capture and storage) is a negative emissions technology. It involves the production of biochar through pyrolysis of residual biomass and the subsequent application of the biochar in soils or durable materials (e.g. cement, tar). Biochar locks carbon from biomass into a stable, charcoal-like form that can persist in soils for centuries to millennia, instead of returning to the atmosphere as CO2.

Multi-pool modelling [14] [15] of biochar soil amendments indicates a centennial – millennial turnover rate, depending on factors like feedstocks used, production conditions, application rates and the characteristics of depositional sites. [16] Additionally, biochar and related residues (i.e. pyrogenic carbon) have been demonstrated to have the potential for wider carbon cycling effects such as suppressing greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from amended soils [17] and benefitting vegetation growth. [18]

In some cases amendment studies and meta-analyses have pointed to undesired effects of biochar soil amendments, such as sub-centennial biochar turnover [19] , increased GHG fluxes [17] and degradation of non-biochar soil carbon stocks. [20] Biochar carbon removal can thus be deployed as a targeted strategy, for example with appropriate application rates, feedstocks and production conditions for the intended application site. [21]

References

  1. 1 2 "Biomass carbon removal & storage". Frontier. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  2. ↑ "CEEZER | Blog | Harnessing plant power: A deep-dive into biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) science and carbon credits". ceezer.earth. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  3. 1 2 3 Chun, Soomin; Ware, Anne (2024). "Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS)".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. 1 2 Denvir, Audrey; Leslie-Bole, Haley (2025-05-01). "Biomass Can Fight Climate Change, But Only If You Do It Right". World Resources Institute. Archived from the original on 2025-08-23.
  5. ↑ Sanchez, Daniel L.; Kammen, Daniel M. (2015-09-24). "Removing Harmful Greenhouse Gases from the Air Using Energy from Plants". Frontiers for Young Minds. 3. doi: 10.3389/frym.2015.00014 . ISSN   2296-6846.
  6. ↑ Daley, Jason (24 April 2018). "The EPA Declared That Burning Wood Is Carbon Neutral. It's Actually a Lot More Complicated". Smithsonian Magazine . Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Sasidhar, Nallapaneni (30 November 2023). "Carbon Neutral Fuels and Chemicals from Standalone Biomass Refineries". Indian Journal of Environment Engineering. 3 (2): 1–8. doi: 10.54105/ijee.B1845.113223 .
  8. 1 2 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering (2018-10-24). Negative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda. pp. 10–13. doi:10.17226/25259. ISBN   978-0-309-48452-7. PMID   31120708. S2CID   134196575. Archived from the original on 2020-05-25. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  9. ↑ Smith, Pete; Porter, John R. (July 2018). "Bioenergy in the IPCC Assessments". GCB Bioenergy. 10 (7): 428–431. Bibcode:2018GCBBi..10..428S. doi: 10.1111/gcbb.12514 . hdl: 2164/10480 .
  10. ↑ "Global Status Report 2024". Global CCS Institute. pp. 57–58. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
  11. ↑ Rhodes, James S.; Keith, David W. (2008). "Biomass with capture: Negative emissions within social and environmental constraints: An editorial comment". Climatic Change. 87 (3–4): 321–8. Bibcode:2008ClCh...87..321R. doi: 10.1007/s10584-007-9387-4 .
  12. ↑ Fajardy, Mathilde; Köberle, Alexandre; Mac Dowell, Niall; Fantuzzi, Andrea (2019). "BECCS deployment: a reality check" (PDF). Grantham Institute Imperial College London.
  13. ↑ Deprez, Alexandra; Leadley, Paul; Dooley, Kate; Williamson, Phil; Cramer, Wolfgang; Gattuso, Jean-Pierre; Rankovic, Aleksandar; Carlson, Eliot L.; Creutzig, Felix (2024-02-02). "Sustainability limits needed for CO 2 removal". Science. 383 (6682): 484–486. doi:10.1126/science.adj6171. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   38301011. S2CID   267365599.
  14. ↑ Kuzyakov, Yakov; Bogomolova, Irina; Glaser, Bruno (March 2014). "Biochar stability in soil: Decomposition during eight years and transformation as assessed by compound-specific 14C analysis" . Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 70: 229–236. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.12.021. ISSN   0038-0717.
  15. ↑ Singh, B.P., Cowie, A., Gilkes, R. and Prakongkep, N., 2010, August. The mean turnover time of biochar in soil varies depending on biomass source and pyrolysis temperature. In 19th world congress of soil science, soil solutions for a changing world, Brisbane (pp. 1-6).
  16. ↑ Wang, Jinyang; Xiong, Zhengqin; Kuzyakov, Yakov (2015-06-19). "Biochar stability in soil: meta‐analysis of decomposition and priming effects". GCB Bioenergy. 8 (3): 512–523. doi:10.1111/gcbb.12266. ISSN   1757-1693.
  17. 1 2 Jeffery, Simon; Verheijen, Frank G.A.; Kammann, Claudia; Abalos, Diego (August 2016). "Biochar effects on methane emissions from soils: A meta-analysis" . Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 101: 251–258. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2016.07.021.
  18. ↑ Gale, Nigel V.; Thomas, Sean C. (2021). "Spatial heterogeneity in soil pyrogenic carbon mediates tree growth and physiology following wildfire". Journal of Ecology. 109 (3): 1479–1490. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13571. ISSN   1365-2745.
  19. ↑ Zimmermann, Michael; Bird, Michael I.; Wurster, Christopher; Saiz, Gustavo; Goodrick, Iain; Barta, Jiri; Capek, Petr; Santruckova, Hana; Smernik, Ronald (2012). "Rapid degradation of pyrogenic carbon" . Global Change Biology. 18 (11): 3306–3316. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02796.x. ISSN   1365-2486.
  20. ↑ Ding, Fan; Van Zwieten, Lukas; Zhang, Weidong; Weng, Zhe; Shi, Shengwei; Wang, Jingkuan; Meng, Jun (April 2018). "A meta-analysis and critical evaluation of influencing factors on soil carbon priming following biochar amendment" . Journal of Soils and Sediments. 18 (4): 1507–1517. doi:10.1007/s11368-017-1899-6. ISSN   1439-0108.
  21. ↑ "Biochar for environmental management: an introduction", Biochar for Environmental Management, Routledge, pp. 33–46, 2015-02-20, ISBN   978-0-203-76226-4 , retrieved 2025-09-15
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