Download bioenergy with carbon capture and storage

BIOENERGY WITH CARBON
CAPTURE AND STORAGE
Bioenergy’s Negative Emission Potential
Biomass energy production systems with carbon capture and storage (BECCS or
bio-CCS) systems hold vast potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere while
producing fuels and/or electricity. Bioenergy + CCS systems harness the power of
photosynthesis to trap CO2 from the air in biomass; when that biomass is
processed to produce energy, the CO2 released during that process can be captured
and stored in underground geologic formations or in carbon-sequestering building
materials, resulting in a net-negative carbon footprint. Despite their enormous
potential for carbon removal, bioenergy + CCS projects face numerous challenges
around cost, sustainability, and land use concerns, and only a handful have been
deployed across the world to date. This fact sheet explains what bioenergy + CCS
is, and explores the opportunities and challenges facing this potentially imperative
climate solution.
ABOUT US
The Center for Carbon Removal is a
non-profit initiative of the Berkeley
Energy & Climate Institute. We are
dedicated to curtailing climate change
by igniting action to develop and
implement strategies for removing
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by:
Conducting research and analysis to highlight
opportunities and address challenges surrounding
carbon removal solutions.
Curating a comprehensive online hub for high quality
information and discussion about carbon removal.
Hosting events that engage public, private, and civil
sector organizations to accelerate the development
of carbon removal solutions.
BECCS
BECCS: A SUITE OF TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS
The term “bioenergy with carbon capture and storage” does not actually represent a single technology,
but rather a suite of possible pathways to create carbon-negative energy products (like fuels or electricity)
through different biomass feedstocks and production processes.
BIOMASS
FEEDSTOCK
PRIMARY ENERGY
PRODUCTION
PROCESS
Dedicated:
FERMENTATION*
CO2 separation
GASIFICATION
Water-gas shift
CO2 separation
and pre-combustion
CO2 capture
Algae
High-yield grasses
Purpose grown trees
Wastes:
{
CO2 CAPTURE
OXYFUEL*
SECONDARY ENERGY
PRODUCTION
PROCESS
Fischer-Tropsch or
other process
OUTPUT
FUELS
Combustion
CO2 separation
ELECTRICITY
+ HEAT
Forest product residues
Agriculture residues
Municipal solid waste
COMBUSTION
Post-combustion CO2 capture
(10%-15% from from flue gas)
*Oxfuel combustion and fermentation are depicted with only a separation step because each process produces an almost pure CO2 stream as a waste product.
CLIMATE MODELS: BECCS CRITICAL TO MEET
COP21 TARGETS
Bioenergy + CCS is already widespread in climate models and is used most notably by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In fact, the IPCC’s climate modeling scenarios “typically rely
on the availability and widespread deployment of [bioenergy with carbon capture and storage] and
afforestation in the second half of the century” to stabilize temperatures below 2°C.1
Of the 116 IPCC scenarios consistent with >66%
probability of limiting warming below 2°C,
87%
include large scale carbon removal via BECCS by
the second half of the century.2
Large-scale and Near Term: Representative 2°C scenarios used in IPCC models assume that up to 25
GW of bioenergy + CCS will be deployed annually by 2040—an amount equivalent to building 50
average-sized coal plants per year — requiring trillions in total capital investment by mid-century.3
1. Summary for Policymakers—Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change.” Assessment Report 5, Working Group 3. Page 12.
2. Smith, Peter et al. (2015). “Biophysical and economic limits to negative CO2 emissions” Nature Climate Change.
3. Sanchez, Daniel L. (2015). “Design, Deployment, and Commercialization of Carbon-Negative Energy Systems.” Ph.D Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.
BECCS BUILT ON EXISTING ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
Bioenergy + CCS overlaps with traditional bioenergy and fossil CCS systems, but has the potential to
provide carbon negative electricity and fuels.
BIOENERGY
FOSSIL ENERGY
Bioenergy + CCS
WITH CCS
Fossil + CCS
=
=
Carbon extracted from the ground in the form of coal,
oil, or gas with a large fraction of carbon captured
during energy production and sequestered geologically.
Yields low/no carbon electricity/fuels.
WITHOUT CCS
Traditional Fossil Energy
Carbon absorbed by plant during photosynthesis with few emissions
during production with a large fraction of carbon captured during
energy production and sequestered geologically. Yields carbon negative
electricity/fuels.
Traditional Bioenergy
=
=
Carbon extracted from the ground in the form of coal,
oil, or gas and emitted into the air during combustion.
Yields high carbon electricity/fuels.
Carbon absorbed by plant during photosynthesis with few
emissions during production and carbon emitted into air during
combustion. Yields low/no carbon electricity/fuels.
BECCS IN ACTION
To co-fire or not to co-fire?
“Partial” bioenergy + CCS systems can
be built by co-firing fossil fuels and
biomass at the same CCS facility.
Because traditional biomass plants
require extensive biomass transport and
thus can suffer from diseconomies of
scale, co-firing allows for larger power
plants and greater economies of scale
for CO2 capture. Yet, co-firing biomass
with fossil fuels does mean fewer CO2
reductions. About 40% biomass
feedstock is needed to produce
net-negative emissions.
One of the first bioenergy + CCS facilities resides in Decatur, Illinois, USA. The project was developed by Archer
Daniels Midland and at full scale will capture and sequester
about one million tonnes of CO2 annually. The plant
captures CO2 during the fermentation process to create
corn-based ethanol. The project is undergoing a robust
measurement and verification process with funding from the
U.S. Department of Energy.
Pictured: CO2 injection site for ADM facility. Source: MGSC
BECCS
BECCS
CHALLENGES
COSTS
While bioenergy + CCS plays an important role in
climate models today, it has yet to be deployed at
meaningful scale. In order to do so, the technology
must address a significant challenges, including
costs, sustainability, nascent business and regulatory
models, and public acceptance.
Bioenergy + CCS systems tend be slightly more
expensive than similar energy production technologies on $/ton CO2 avoided/captured and on $/kW
of electricity scales.
$/ton CO2
Bioelectricity
(single unit Biomass BFB)
Fossil Energy + CCS
(single unit IGCC + CCS)
Bioelectricity + CCS
Swift action to address these uncertainties is imperative to the success of bioenergy + CCS technology. Because few bioenergy + CCS projects exist
today, increased funding and regulatory support are
critical for its potential to be realized.
(single unit Biomass BFB)
$52
$60
$100
These numbers may vary based on varying bioenergy feedstock prices, energy production processes, and
capture technology. Cost numbers sourced from the following reports: National Academies of Sciences:
Climate Intervention; EIA: Updated Capital Cost Estimates for Utility Scale Electricity Generating
Plants; Amanda D. Cueller: Plant Power - The cost of using biomass for power generation and potential
for decreased greenhouse gas emissions.
EXTERNAL RESOURCES
five BECCS “must reads”
European Biofuels Technology Platform & Zero Emissions Platform. “Biomass with CO2 Capture and Storage
(Bio-CCS): The way forward for Europe.” June 2012.
The Climate Institue. “Moving Below Zero: Understanding bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.”
April 2014.
UC Berkeley. “Biomass enables the transition to a carbon-negative power system across western North America.”
Daniel L. Sanchez, et. al. In Nature Climate Change. February 2015.
UC Berkeley. “A commercialization strategy for carbon-negative energy.” Daniel L. Sanchez and Daniel M.
Kammen. In Nature Energy. January 2016.
Global Carbon Project. “Betting on Negative Emissions.” Sabine Fuss, et. al. In Nature Climate Change. September
2014.
CONTACT US
{
www.centerforcarbonremoval.org
@CarbonRemoval
[email protected]
(510) 664 - 7153
}
CENTER FOR
CARBON
REMOVAL