From Waste to Power: How North America is Turning Biomass into Climate Solutions

The Overlooked Hero in the Net-Zero Story

As of 2023, global BECCS capacity was around 2.7 million tons of CO2/year, according to the Global CCS Institute. In the growing race to cut carbon, most of the spotlight has landed on hydrogen and direct air capture. But one technology is quietly gaining ground for doing what few others can: removing carbon from the atmosphere while producing clean energy. This is the promise of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS.

BECCS takes organic waste, turns it into energy, and captures the CO2 emissions that come from it. The result is carbon-negative energy. And in North America, the opportunity is massive.

>> RELATED: Pioneering the Future: Companies Leading the Charge in BECCS Technology

What Makes BECCS So Powerful?

While other technologies reduce emissions, BECCS goes a step further by pulling carbon out of the air. As plants grow, they absorb CO2. When that plant-based material is used to generate energy, BECCS captures the resulting emissions and stores them underground.

This double-duty approach is why many experts call BECCS one of the most viable paths to actual carbon removal. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies it as essential for reaching net-zero goals.

BECCS can remove up to 400 million metric tons of CO2 annually in the U.S. alone, according to estimates from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. That’s roughly 7% of current U.S. annual emissions.

North America is Built for This

The US and Canada have what it takes to lead in BECCS. From vast agricultural waste to strong energy infrastructure, the region is well-positioned for rapid scaling. Corn stover, forestry residues, manure, and even municipal solid waste offer readily available biomass feedstocks.

States like Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska already host ethanol plants that can be upgraded with carbon capture tech. Canada’s Saskatchewan province is piloting BECCS projects in pulp and paper mills.

With thousands of miles of CO2 pipelines and multiple Class VI well permits approved by the EPA, the United States is currently the most advanced market for carbon storage.

The U.S. has over 5,000 miles of CO₂ pipelines, primarily concentrated in the Midwest and Gulf Coast, according to the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. In Canada, the Boundary Dam CCS project in Saskatchewan has already stored over 4 million metric tons of CO₂ from coal-fired power since 2014, offering a model for BECCS deployment in adjacent pulp and paper sectors.

Major Players Making BECCS Real

Companies like Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator CO2, and ADM are moving fast to bring BECCS into the mainstream. ADM has already captured and stored more than 3.5 million metric tons of CO2 at its Decatur, Illinois ethanol facility.

Timeline update: ADM’s Decatur facility reached its first milestone back on March 20, 2014, when it injected 750,000 t of CO₂ into the Mt. Simon Sandstone over five years .

Then in April 2017 the plant began industrial‐scale operations, storing approximately 1 million t/year. As of 2022, ADM reports more than 3.5 million t safely stored, documenting over a decade of continuous capture .

In Canada, Carbon Clean and Svante are helping scale up capture tech for biomass facilities, targeting pulp mills and biofuel plants across British Columbia and Alberta.

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Turning Waste Into Energy and Jet Fuel

BECCS isn’t just about electricity. It can also be the backbone for other decarbonization tools. Biomass gasification paired with carbon capture can create low-carbon hydrogen. That hydrogen can then be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), replacing petroleum-based jet fuel.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 1 ton of biomass can produce roughly 60 gallons of SAF when integrated with carbon capture. This figure comes from the DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, which is guiding the federal SAF Grand Challenge. At commercial scale, companies like LanzaTech have demonstrated similar outputs. Their Freedom Pines Biorefinery in Georgia converts biomass and industrial off-gases into fuel-grade ethanol, which is then upgraded into SAF. That means even small-scale projects can have measurable climate benefits.

This makes BECCS a multi-tool. It not only removes carbon but supports key sectors like aviation and hydrogen. LanzaTech, for example, is using captured carbon from biorefineries to create fuel additives, cosmetics, and SAF.

Policy is Driving Momentum

The United States has supercharged BECCS with generous incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act. Tax credits for carbon capture (45Q) now offer up to $85 per ton of CO2 stored underground.

As of early 2024, the EPA had received over 100 Class VI carbon storage permit applications, a sharp rise from previous years. Many of these are linked to bioenergy or ethanol facilities seeking to qualify for 45Q tax credits, as part of the DOE’s Carbon Management Program.

In Canada, the Clean Fuel Regulations and federal investment tax credits for CCUS are accelerating the deployment of BECCS projects nationwide.

"BECCS is not a future concept – it's happening now and it's the only technology that can deliver truly negative emissions at scale," said Jennifer Wilcox, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Jobs, Revenue, and Rural Resilience

This technology doesn’t just clean the air. It brings economic benefits, especially to rural communities. Farmers can monetize crop residues and manure. Forestry operators can profit from slash and sawdust.

A report from the Global CCS Institute estimates that BECCS could create more than 70,000 direct and indirect jobs across North America. According to analysis by the Global CCS Institute and Carbon180, job creation includes approximately 25,000 roles in construction, 15,000 in operations, 10,000 in biomass supply chains, and thousands more in transport and maintenance.

With more than 200 ethanol plants in the Midwest alone, retrofitting them with carbon capture tech could create a new carbon economy for America’s heartland.

Yes, There Are Challenges

BECCS critics point to concerns around land use, food security, and biodiversity. Using land to grow energy crops could compete with food production or disrupt ecosystems.

A 2022 study published in Nature estimated that removing 5.2 gigatons of CO₂ annually via BECCS would require 380 to 700 million hectares of land globally, depending on crop yield and climate. That’s nearly one-third of current global cropland, highlighting the importance of using residues and waste streams first.

But not all biomass is created equal. Wastes and residues offer a path forward without threatening food systems or forests. Smart policy and sustainability standards will be key to ensuring BECCS remains a climate solution, not a problem.

To further reduce land pressure, advanced techniques like algae-based biomass and integrated agroforestry are being researched as next-gen feedstock solutions.

From Idea to Infrastructure

Momentum is growing. In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $2.6 billion in funding for carbon management projects, including BECCS. That same month, BlackRock committed $550 million to a portfolio of BECCS-ready biorefineries through its climate infrastructure fund.

New hubs are forming in regions like the Gulf Coast, Alberta, and the Great Plains, where biomass, infrastructure, and policy are all aligned.

Key projects driving these hubs include the Illinois Basin Decatur Project, the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, and the Texas Gulf Coast Carbon Hub, each integrating biomass sources with existing pipeline and storage infrastructure.

"When we talk about carbon removal, BECCS is the one solution that checks all the boxes: scalable, dispatchable, and already proven in the field," said Noah Deich, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Carbon Management.

Why BECCS Deserves the Spotlight

North America has the tools, talent, and terrain to lead the BECCS revolution. What it needs now is attention. As the climate clock ticks, scalable carbon removal like BECCS can buy critical time.

Turning waste into watts, and even wings, isn’t just a clever slogan. It’s a roadmap to a cleaner economy, one that powers progress without emissions. And for a region as resource-rich as North America, that future is within reach.