April 2019: Combining coal-bioenergy gasification with carbon capture and storage technologies could be economically and technically viable. This could incentivise the transition of large coal-dependent countries such as China to a carbon negative energy system.
Information
New findings suggest that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technologies could be economically competitive and support a transition to carbon negative energy systems. While opinions about CCS are divisive, the study promotes the use of coal-bioenergy gasification to increase the efficiency of electricity generation from biomass. During this process, carbon–rich materials are converted into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide for fuels and industrial chemicals. The carbon in biomass is converted to energy via combustion while plants are used to store large amounts of carbon. Biomass alone is not able to provide enough energy for large industrial economies. However, the data suggests that if at least 35 per cent of the coal and biomass mix stems from biomass and waste carbon is captured, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is reduced, making the process technically and economically viable for large-scale applications.
Implications and opportunities
The economic viability of BECCS technologies could incentivise large industrial and coal dependent countries such as China to transition to carbon negative energy systems in a way that is cost-competitive with current coal-fired power plants. In addition, the combination of coal and biomass could use crop residue from rural farms as biofuel, creating a co-benefit of reducing air pollution from preventing the burning of crop waste. Highly polluted regions that are rich in crop residue would experience improvements in air quality and economic benefits from applying BECCS systems.
Limitations
The study’s scope is limited and focuses on the economic and technical viability of BECCS in China. Further research is needed to investigate the general applicability of BECCS technologies considering regional differences. In addition, current attempts to implement CCS technologies face reservations within the academic community and have not yet been shown to be successful on large-scale levels.
Sources
Lu, X., Cao, L., Wang, H., Peng, W., Xing, J., Wang, S., … McElroy, M. B. (2019). Gasification of coal and biomass as a net carbon-negative power source for environment-friendly electricity generation in China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201812239. doi:10.1073/pnas.1812239116
The European Scientist. (2019). Feasibility of achieving carbon-negative energy in China. Retrieved from https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/energy/feasibility-of-achieving-carbon-negative-power-in-china/
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