In the global pursuit to achieve carbon neutrality and avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, novel strategies that can both reduce emissions and generate reliable power are desperately needed. A groundbreaking comprehensive review recently published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts illuminates a promising, yet underutilized approach — retrofitting existing relatively young coal-fired power plants to integrate bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). This strategy holds potential not only to drastically cut emissions but also to transform aging fossil fuel assets into net carbon-negative facilities, providing a pivotal bridge in the transition to a low-carbon energy system.
Coal-fired power plants, often criticized as relics of an unsustainable past, paradoxically may become one of the most direct avenues to carbon-negative power generation. By co-firing biomass — organic matter such as agricultural residues or sustainably managed wood — alongside coal, and coupling this combustion process with high-efficiency carbon capture systems capable of sequestering up to 99% of CO₂ emissions, these retrofitted plants could remove substantial volumes of atmospheric carbon while continuing to supply dispatchable electricity. The review highlights that globally, if implemented on a massive scale, BECCS through such retrofits could cumulatively eliminate between 30 and a staggering 780 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide across the 21st century. This magnitude of climate mitigation equates to offsetting more than two decades of current worldwide energy-related emissions, an unprecedented impact for a single technological intervention.
Crucially, BECCS is not merely a carbon removal technique but also a firm, flexible energy source. Unlike intermittent renewables like wind and solar, whose output fluctuates with weather conditions, bioenergy combustion offers constant, dispatchable power. This reliability fills a persistent gap in decarbonized energy grids that is key for maintaining system stability as fossil fuels retire. The coupling of biomass co-firing with carbon capture thus can underpin deep decarbonization of power generation and heavy industry sectors that presently depend on fossil fuels, advancing a just transition that simultaneously preserves valuable industrial jobs and infrastructure.
China provides a compelling case study exemplifying the potential scale and benefits of BECCS retrofitting. Analysis within the review shows that coal units less than 15 years old, modified to inject 50% biomass fuel and equipped with next-generation carbon capture technologies, could cumulatively reduce 41 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from the national power sector between 2050 and 2060. This immense reduction translates not only to lower national greenhouse gas emissions but also to extended operational lifetimes for coal plants facing an early retirement due to environmental regulations, thereby easing socio-economic disruptions in coal-dependent regions.
Nevertheless, the adoption of BECCS on a wide scale demands meticulous planning and safeguards to avoid unintended environmental and social costs. The review underscores risks such as competition for arable land between biomass production and food crops, water resource depletion, and biodiversity losses stemming from large-scale biomass cultivation. These trade-offs necessitate rigorous site-specific assessments integrating carbon, water, and land-use life-cycle metrics to ensure genuinely sustainable carbon removal pathways. Prior to project approval, mapping regional biomass potential alongside carbon storage capacity emerges as a critical step to optimize deployment and minimize ecological footprints.
Achieving near-complete carbon capture efficiencies, ranging from 95 to 99%, remains a technical imperative and an active research frontier. The review calls for accelerated development of capture technologies that can reliably reach these thresholds, as marginal differences in capture performance translate to substantial differences in net emissions removal. Innovations in solvent chemistry, membrane separation, and process integration could be game changers in elevating capture rates while reducing operational costs.
Financial mechanisms underpinning BECCS deployment also require robust frameworks. The review advocates for the institution of long-term carbon pricing schemes or sequestration crediting systems, providing economic incentives aligned with the permanence of CO₂ storage. Such policies can lower investment risk profiles and catalyze capital flows toward retrofitting efforts, simultaneously signaling industry and market stakeholders of clear, sustained support for negative emissions technologies.
Importantly, public engagement especially in regions reliant on fossil fuel industries is indispensable to the social acceptance and success of BECCS initiatives. Transparent communication of benefits, risks, and safeguards, alongside inclusive dialogues involving local communities, policymakers, and industry, can foster trust and collaborative transitions. The review recommends sustained outreach campaigns to highlight how BECCS can preserve jobs, contribute to energy security, and support climate goals without abandonment of coal-dependent populations.
From a systemic perspective, the integration of BECCS into decarbonized energy grids enhances overall resilience and flexibility. Acting as negative-emission “backup” capacity, BECCS plants provide a counterbalance to the variability of renewable technologies, enabling grids dominated by wind and solar to maintain reliability while achieving carbon neutrality. This role is instrumental in managing peak loads, seasonal fluctuations, and system inertia, elevating BECCS from a niche removal tool to a foundational pillar in energy transitions.
While direct air capture (DAC) technologies receive much attention for their theoretical capacity to scrub CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, BECCS delivers an immediate energetic co-benefit by generating usable electricity, thereby offsetting the high energy demands associated with DAC. This dual utility underlines BECCS’s advantageous position in near-term mitigation portfolios, leveraging existing energy infrastructure to amplify decarbonization impacts swiftly and at scale.
The foresight and comprehensive assessment encapsulated in this review underscore that BECCS, when carefully and responsibly deployed, could transition from a marginal carbon mitigation strategy into a linchpin of global efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. By harmonizing industrial longevity with aggressive emissions abatement and renewable integration, it presents a unique confluence of technological innovation, economic pragmatism, and environmental stewardship.
In sum, the path forward illuminates a transformative vision where bioenergy retrofits paired with cutting-edge carbon capture become central in carbon management frameworks, sustaining industrial energy needs while actively reversing climate change. This vision mandates concerted action across research, policy, finance, and community engagement to unleash BECCS’s full potential as a cornerstone of a just and sustainable energy future.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Bioresources and Bioproducts with Carbon Capture and Storage: A Firm Energy Option for Carbon Neutrality
News Publication Date: 6-Aug-2025
Web References:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2025.07.003
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-bioresources-and-bioproducts
References:
Huicong Cao et al., Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2025.
Image Credits: College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
Keywords: Bioenergy, Alternative energy, Wood energy, Biomass
