Moustafa et al. (2026): Review of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Progress, Challenges, and Future Outlook
Nadine Tamer Moustafa, Nishikawa Emily, Koen H. Van Dam, Jennifer F. Holak, Sergey Paltsev, Mai Bui, Sean McCoy and Niall Mac Dowell, IN: SSRN (Preprint), https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7076303
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is one of the few carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approaches consistently represented at gigatonne scale in climate mitigation scenarios. However, real-world deployment remains limited, and significant uncertainties persist regarding its feasibility at scale. This review synthesises current evidence on BECCS across technological pathways, biomass supply, lifecycle emissions, infrastructure requirements, and policy and market frameworks.The analysis highlights that BECCS performance is highly pathway-dependent, with substantial variation in carbon efficiency, COâ‚‚ stream characteristics, and technological maturity across thermochemical and biological routes. Beyond technology, biomass availability emerges as a primary constraint. Estimates of global supply are highly sensitive to land-use assumptions, and sustainability-constrained scenarios suggest significantly lower availability. Infrastructure and spatial constraints introduce additional challenges. Biomass resources, geological storage capacity, and demand for negative emissions are not co-located, implying reliance on transport networks, cross-border trade, and coordinated infrastructure expansion.