Scotland’s Net Zero Roadmap: D1.3.1 Report on Biogenic CO2 Emissions Potential

Abstract

This report summarises the findings of Work Package 1 Task 1.3, which was focused on conducting an assessment of the potential for achieving engineered greenhouse gas removals (GGRs) within the SNZR cluster boundary by attempting to quantify the total amount of biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) that is (i) available and (ii) capturable, assuming the most recent capture rates that research and current commercial activities have shown to be possible. The study includes a review of existing Scottish industries that have biogenic CO2 emissions, covering bioenergy systems for heat and/or electricity generation, which may be combined with CCS – known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS; and non-energy systems for the production of alcohol. Bioenergy systems were segmented into three groups: biomass combustion for heat and/or combined heat and power (CHP); anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce biogas and/or biomethane, including AD in landfills, sewage treatment works, wet-waste processing and crop residue treatment; and energy-from-waste (EfW) systems. Fermentation - which, for the purposes of this study, pertains only to large-scale grain whisky distilleries - is included due to its scale of biogenic CO2 emissions and the potential for lower-cost capture from concentrated CO2 streams.