Module 5: Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS)
Photosynthesis has been the driving force behind many of our previously studied negative emissions technology, but here we take that biomass and utilize somehow, either burning it to produce power while capturing and storing the CO2 released, or heating it up without oxygen to produce a soil-enhancing rock-like material called biochar.
High Flyer
Catalyst Podcast
On this podcast, Julio Friedmann gives an overview of how biomass can be used for durable carbon removal, with info on potential feedstocks and CDR pathways.
Podcast - 41 min
Barclay Rogers of Graphyte
This blog post from the CEO of Graphyte, a biomass casting company launched through the Gates Breakthrough Energy Ventures program, explores the need to prioritize CDR technologies that can already deliver removals today over those engineered solutions that are years out. The article spread in the CDR space, and Rogers even wrote a full response to comments here.
Article - 10 min
3. Does Carbon Removal Need to be Dumb to Work?
Heatmap
This article looks at VaultedDeep’s technology to pump biowaste slurry underground and the company’s purchase agreements with Frontier. It covers the value of using low-tech options that are scalable and already available for generating credits and removing carbon today.
Article - 10 min
Climate Student
4. Inside Charm Industrial’s big bet on corn stalks for carbon removal
MIT Technology Review
The article from MIT Technology Review discusses Charm Industrial's innovative approach to carbon removal, which involves converting agricultural waste, such as corn stalks, into bio-oil through a process called pyrolysis. This bio-oil is then injected into underground wells, effectively sequestering carbon dioxide for the long term. The piece explores the scalability of this method, its potential role in climate mitigation strategies, and the challenges associated with implementing such technologies on a larger scale.
Article - 20 min
5. Carbo Culture - Biochar at Scale
This is CDR
Biochar is another well-known pathway for durable biomass carbon removal, and this interview with the CEO of CarboCulture will cover some of the basics.
Video - 60 min
6. Introduction to Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy
BECCS comes with a slew of potential risks, societal costs, and environmental justice concerns, so thinking through how to implement it at large scale is very important. This webinar brings together biomass experts Dan Sanchez, Meron Tesfaye, and Sam Savitz to give a detailed introduction.
Video - 58 min
8. A stealth effort to bury wood for carbon removal has just raised millions
MIT Technology Review
Another pathway for biomass carbon removal involves trying to preserve the biomass rather than thermally converting it to a more durable form. Kodama is trying to do this with wood from forests.
Article - 15 min
7. Oliver Reinaud (NetZero): Extracting Carbon from Plants with Biochar
Scaling Climate Tech Podcast
Listen to this discussion with Oliver Reinaud of NetZero, one of the largest biochar CDR companies operating in the industry. He speaks about the company’s origins, their plans to remove 2M tons of CO2/year by 2030, licensing models for carbon companies, and biochar as a CDR methodology at large.
Podcast - 65 min
9. Harnessing Nature: Exploring BECCs and BiCARS
Patch
The Patch Project Showcase explores Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCs) and Biomass with Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCARS), featuring insights from Drax and Charm Industrial on how these nature-based technologies can help scale Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Explore each company's unique approaches, the challenges of scaling these solutions, and the policy and financing frameworks essential to their global implementation.
Video - 60 min
10. Roads to Removal: Options for CDR in the US (Biomass)
Roads2Removal
BiCRS has the potential to create income streams while also removing carbon by generating materials and energy products from biomass. However, BiCRS also presents certain risks, including land use change, which can displace natural ecosystems and food production, resulting in unforeseen climate impacts. Other risks include the complexity of the process, which necessitates cooperation between farmers, biorefinery operators, and carbon storage systems. Because of the broad scope of BiCRS, the Roads to Removal report explores topics such as land use, biomass availability, transportation, conversion pathways, and biorefinery site selection in the United States.
Report - 40 min
11. Building the market for CDR (Q&A with CEO of Charm Industrial)
Watershed
This is a transcript of a discussion with Peter Reinhardt, the CEO of Charm Industrial, covering the company’s progress with biomass to bio-oil conversion and below-ground injection along with challenges for achieving gigaton scale in the CDR industry.
Interview - 30 min
Climate Master
13. Carboniferous Frontier Application
Frontier Github
Frontier publishes the applications of all companies that apply to their purchase program. This is the extended application of a company called Carboniferous, that plans to sink terrestrial biomass into hypersaline anoxic basins, preventing its degradation.
Website - 60 min
14. Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) Roadmap
ICEF
BiCRS ("bikers") is a new umbrella term being used to describe all carbon removal strategies that utilize biomass for permanent storage. This Jan 2021 roadmap goes into a lot of detail on the complexities of these different strategies and is the ultimate guide to thinking about where we are with biomass CDR. Worth the time investment to give it a read!
Report - 180 min
15. Wood Vault Paper
Ning Zeng and Henry Hausmann
This study aims to develop a concrete way of carrying out wood harvesting and storage (WHS) at large-scale, using a wood storage facility (aka “Wood Vault”) capable of burying “woody” biomass on a mega-tonne scale. Mega, indeed!
Report - 60 min
16. Surveying the BECCS Landscape Report
EFI
In case one long report wasn't enough for you, this detailed BECCS report covers everything from a detailed classification of biomass feedstocks to related industries and supply chain challenges. If you like biomass carbon removal, go through this in detail!
Report - 180 min
12. Corn Cobs: Fuel of Nightmares (Charm)
Charm
This blog post from Charm Industrial delves into the challenges of biomass-based CDR and the engineering feats required to make it economically and technologically feasible at scale.
Article - 10 min