Management of Biogenic CO2: BECCUS (Phase 2)
This project aims to 1) facilitate cross-sector learning on bio-CCUS, 2) shed light on (bio)energy system integration and deployment of bio-CCUS and 3) address CO2 mitigation potential of bio-CCUS. It will allow for a more systemic consideration of how to take different bio-CCUS or BECCUS applications to deployment.
There have been previous activities on bioenergy and carbon capture and storage by IEA Bioenergy with a particular focus on first-of-its-kind projects. Publications can be found here.
Participating Tasks
8 out of 11 IEA Bioenergy Tasks participating. Task 40 (deployment), Task 32 (combustion), Task 33 (gasification), Task 34 (DTL), Task 36 (waste), Task 37 (biogas), Task 44 (flexibility) and Task 45 (sustainability).
Duration
01/06/2022 – 31/12/2024
Leadership
Christiane Hennig (Task 40, DBFZ, Germany), Christian Bang (Task 40, EA Energy Analyses, Denmark)
Objective
Key questions that are addressed:
- Which technologies/concepts are (potentially) available?
- What are the requirements for the deployment of BECCUS?
- In a given situation should biogenic CO2 be sequestered, or utilised?
- How to monetise the carbon negative products that bioenergy can deliver?
- How is the GHG accounting for the different concepts? How to govern the different energy system services?
Work packages
Publications
Work Package 2 – Biomass combustion and CCUS projects
Full-scale Waste-to-Energy CCS in Norway
This case study report presents the latest developments regarding the Hafslund Celsio full-scale CCS project at their Klemetsrud WtE plant in Oslo, Norway. The project has been initiated in 2015 and went through different stages of project realisation since then. The purpose of this report is to present the different stages and challenges and to derive lessons learnt of developing this kind of BECCS project.
Key Lessons:
- Importance of perseverance, patience, and thorough evaluation.
- Infrastructure and organizational needs are often underestimated. Especially the provision of electricity, transport, the significant need for space (especially challenging in urban settings) and a temporary storage at the harbour.
- Political or societal support are key.
- Integrating new systems into existing operations proves to be complex, and managing various levels of process maturity is challenging. In the particular case on hand a bold cost-cutting phase helped to revitalize the project.
View the publication here:
- Full-scale Waste-to-Energy CCS in Norway: Oslo CCS Hafslund Celsio, WP2 Case Study Report (May 2025)
Work Package 7 – Science and Policy around bio-CCUS
Despite its potential as carbon dioxide removal practice with high technology maturity and high permanence of storage, BECCUS is not yet systematically integrated into most national climate and energy policies, partly due to misconceptions about its effectiveness. Frontrunner countries like Denmark and Sweden are exceptions, actively implementing policies such as public tenders and reverse auctions to support commercial deployment.
Stronger policy frameworks are urgently needed to scale up BECCUS, clarify definitions, and provide financial incentives to realise its full potential in building a sustainable, climate-neutral future.
Key Highlights:
- BECCS is essential for meeting national climate targets. Scenario modelling shows that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, especially in countries with significant agricultural emissions, will be extremely challenging, if not impossible, without the negative emissions provided by technologies like BECCS..
- Urgent and clear policy support is needed to drive commercial deployment. While the scientific case for BECCUS is strong, its large-scale implementation is hindered by a lack of supportive policy frameworks in most countries. Learning from frontrunners like Denmark and Sweden, policymakers should implement mechanisms such as reverse auctions, carbon removal certification frameworks, and direct financial support (e.g., CCUS Funds) to create viable business models, reduce investment risk, and accelerate the scaling of these critical climate solutions.
- Crucial aspect to be addressed in the process of policy making: Cascading biobased value chains—using biomass for products like particleboard before energy generation—can delay CO₂ release, buying time for BECCS technology to scale up and maximising the climate benefits of each unit of harvested biomass.
View the publication here:
BECCUS Science & Policy. WP7 Summary Report (May 2025)
Dissemination and Events
Intra-Task Meeting IEA IETS Task XI on Industry-Based Biorefineries for Sustainability, Gothenburg 8 May 2023, Bang_IEABioenergy-2023_05.08
EERA event “Carbon sinks in Europe: stakeholders taking action to bring out the next solutions for carbon neutrality“, Brussels, 5 September 2023, Hennig_IEABioenergy-2023_09_05_EERA
Project workshop organized by IEA Bioenergy Task 32 “Biomass combustion and CCUS“, Copenhagen, 21 September 2023, Bang_intro-Task-32-Workshop-Biomass-Combustion-and-CCUS
IEA Bioenergy Workshop WS30 “Bioenergy in a Net Zero Future“, Lyon, 19 October 2023, Download
Project Workshop “Science and policy surrounding biogenic CO2”, online, 2 February 2024
Workshop IEA IETS Task 21 Subtask 2 Circular Carbon, “Widening the perspective on Circular Carbon: from potentials to practical experience”, online, 29 February 2024
Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC 2024), Washington DC, 13-14 March 2024, Download
Workshop IEA TCP Coordination Group on Carbon Management, 22 April 2024
Webinar “Utilization and storage of captured biogenic CO2 – Deployment in selected EU countries”, 17 June 2024, Announcement and Recording
BBEST & IEA Bioenergy Conference 2024, São Paulo, 22-24 October 2024, Presentation
Overview of major planned first-of-its-kind BECCUS projects in Europe (status 10/2024)
| Project/company | Location | Type of primary energy facility | Facility capacity | Feedstock | Capture rate biogenic CO2 Mt/a | Project phase |
| Asnæs 6 CHP Station /Ørsted | Denmark | Biomass combustion | 25 MWel, 129 MWth | Wood chips | 0.28 | implementation |
| Avedøre Power Station /Ørsted | Denmark | Biomass combustion | 100 MWel | Straw | 0.15 | implementation |
| Amagerværket4/ Hofor | Denmark | Biomass combustion | 150 MWel, 415 MWth | Wood chips | 1.1 | planning |
| BECCS Stockholm/ Stockholm Exergi | Sweden | Biomass combustion | 130 MWel, 280 MWth | Wood chips | 0.8 | planning |
| Jordbro/ Vattenfall | Sweden | Biomass combustion | 279 MWth, 20 MWel | Wood chips, waste wood | 0.15 | planning |
| Hafslund Celsio/ Hafslund | Norway | Waste-to-energy (50% biogenic share) | 55.4 MWth, 10.5 MWel | Municipal waste, waste from industry | up to 0.2* | planning |
| Emshaven/RWE | The Netherlands | currently: co-firing (15%); in 2030: 100% biomass | 2 x 785 MWel | Hard coal (currently), wood pellets, agro pellets | 8-10 | planning |
| Amer/RWE | The Netherlands | currently: co-firing (80%); in 2025: 100% biomass | 645 MWel, 350 MWth | Hard coal (currently), wood pellets, agro pellets | 3-4 | planning |
Notes: * Hafslund Celsio: Capacity of the capture unit is 400 kt/year. Assuming 50% biogenic fraction. Disclaimer: No guarantee for completeness.
References:
https://orsted.com/en/what-we-do/renewable-energy-solutions/bioenergy/carbon-capture-and-storage
https://orsted.com/en/media/news/2021/06/857452362384936
https://www.ieabioenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Bang-FINAL-2021-IEA-Bio-BECCUS-HOFOR.pdfhttps://www.hofor.dk/baeredygtige-byer/fremtidens-fjernvarme/amagervaerket/co2-fangst-paa-amagervaerket/
https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/17964354/karbonfangstprosjektet-pa-klemetsrud-gjennomforer-en-kostnadsreduserende-fase?publisherId=17848166&lang=no
https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/18114100/hafslund-oslo-celsio-verdens-forste-samarbeidspartner-for-net-zero-plastic?publisherId=17848223&lang=no
https://www.hafslund.no/en/produkter-og-tjenester/oslo-ccs/prosessen-med-a-fange-og-lagre-co2-fra-klemetsrudhttps://ccsnorway.com/capture-hafslund-celsio/
https://www.ieabioenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Becidan-2021-FINAL-IEA-Bio-BECCS-FOV-Case-study.pdfhttps://www.stockholmexergi.se/en/bio-ccs/
https://beccs.se/news/stockholm-exergis-project-for-negative-emissions-receives-eu-support-2/https://beccs.se/news/stockholm-exergi-announces-permanent-carbon-removal-agreement-with-microsoft-worlds-largest-to-date/
https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/newsroom/2024/vattenfall-takes-major-step-towards-negative-emissions-in-jordbrohttps://group.vattenfall.com/sustainability/climate-transition-plan/carbon-capture
https://powerplants.vattenfall.com/jordbro/
https://benelux.rwe.com/en/press/2022-12-12-rwe-launches-project-beccus-for-large-scale-capture-and-storage-of-co/
https://benelux.rwe.com/en/our-energy/biomass/beccus/
https://benelux.rwe.com/en/locations-and-projects/amer-power-plant/
https://benelux.rwe.com/en/locations-and-projects/eemshaven-power-plant/