Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) will be “critical” to achieving the 2050 net-zero target due its ability to generate “negative emissions” and offset those from hard to decarbonise sectors, the Renewable Energy Association (REA) has argued in a new report.
The paper explores a number of options for supporting the technology, including raising the carbon price to £50 per tonne by 2020 and allowing BECCS to bid in contracts for difference auctions. The REA has urged the government to establish at least large-scale commercial scheme and several smaller demonstration projects by the late 2020s.
REA policy analyst and report author Samuel Stevenson said: “According to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the UK will require carbon capture and storage at scale in order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“BECCS could play an important role in doing this cost-effectively and sustainably, reducing annual CO2 emissions in the UK by around 6 per cent, whilst also providing low carbon power, heat and additional co-benefits.”
Stevenson said by 2050 the UK is expected to be left with “residual” emissions from hard decarbonise sectors such as agriculture, aviation and industry of 90-130 megatonnes of carbon dioxide per year (MtCO2/yr), of which BECCS could offset 24–51MtCO2/yr.
The report also calls for the government to increase its funding for low-carbon industrial clusters from a total of £170 million to £100 million per project.
Earlier this year, Drax began capturing carbon emissions from one of the four biomass units at its power station in Yorkshire.