Pulp Mills Just Unlocked Negative Emissions at Scale

A breakthrough pilot project just proved that North America's pulp and paper mills can become carbon removal powerhouses. CO280, a Vancouver-based carbon dioxide removal developer, and SLB Capturi completed a field pilot at a U.S. Gulf Coast mill that captured biogenic CO₂ with 95% efficiency over 4,000 hours of operation. This success validates a game-changing opportunity: retrofitting an entire industry to deliver permanent, affordable carbon removal at massive scale.

The pilot, which ran continuously from Q3 2024 through November 2025, used SLB Capturi's Mobile Test Unit to capture CO₂ from recovery boiler stack emissions. The system met all key performance benchmarks including energy consumption, solvent durability, and emissions standards. What makes this particularly significant is that it's capturing biogenic CO₂, which comes from burning biomass that previously absorbed carbon from the atmosphere. When captured and stored permanently underground, this creates net-negative emissions, making pulp and paper mills into carbon removal facilities rather than just lower-emission operations.

>> RELATED: US Carbon Capture Race: $77B Industry Shifts Global Balance

Why Pulp Mills Are Perfect for BECCS

North America's pulp and paper sector emits over 100 million tonnes of biogenic CO₂ every year. That's not a bug, it's actually a feature when it comes to carbon removal. These mills burn black liquor, a byproduct of the pulping process that's basically concentrated biomass. Since that biomass pulled CO₂ from the atmosphere while growing, capturing these emissions and storing them underground effectively removes carbon from the air permanently.

The industry has several advantages that make carbon capture retrofits especially viable. Mills already have the energy infrastructure, access to waste heat, and established supply chains. Most importantly, 75% of U.S. mills sit within 100 miles of geological storage sites, slashing transportation costs and complexity. CO280's approach doesn't require mills to overhaul their operations. Instead, modular carbon capture units get installed on existing infrastructure, minimizing disruption while creating new revenue streams through carbon removal credits.

From Pilot to Commercial Scale

The successful pilot clears the path for commercial deployment. CO280 is already developing more than 10 carbon capture and removal projects at mills in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Canada, with several scheduled to deliver carbon removal by 2030. In 2024, the company awarded Front-End Engineering Design contracts for a project at a Gulf Coast mill, and earlier this year secured Pre-FEED contracts for a Canadian site.

SLB Capturi brings deep experience in industrial carbon capture, with successful deployments across cement kilns, waste-to-energy plants, natural gas boilers, and process industries. Their post-combustion liquid amine systems have already proven themselves at industrial scale, which gave the pulp and paper pilot a significant head start. The Mobile Test Unit approach also allows for rapid testing and validation before committing to full commercial installations.

>> In Other News: Japan Eyes Wyoming Gas As New Mexico-Mexico Route Opens Export Path

Big Tech's BECCS Bet

Corporate demand is accelerating BECCS deployment faster than many expected. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage is attracting major corporate buyers because it delivers permanent, verifiable removal rather than temporary offsets. Microsoft signed a landmark agreement with CO280 in April 2025 to purchase 3.7 million tonnes of carbon removal over 12 years from a Gulf Coast pulp mill project. JPMorgan Chase followed with an agreement for up to 450,000 tonnes over 15 years. These deals aren't charity, they're strategic investments in meeting net-zero commitments with permanent, verifiable carbon removal.

The voluntary carbon market increasingly favors high-quality removal credits over conventional offsets. BECCS delivers permanent sequestration (the CO₂ stays underground for thousands of years), clear measurement and verification, and additional benefits like supporting forestry-dependent communities. With prices for premium removal credits ranging from $100 to $300 per tonne, mills that retrofit for carbon capture could generate tens of millions in new annual revenue while maintaining their core operations.

BECCS vs. Other Carbon Removal Methods

BECCS occupies a unique position in the carbon removal landscape. Unlike Direct Air Capture, which pulls CO₂ from ambient air at high energy cost, BECCS captures concentrated streams from industrial processes. This makes it significantly more energy-efficient and cost-effective per tonne of CO₂ removed. While DAC facilities can cost upwards of $1,000 per tonne, CO280 targets approximately $200 per tonne for its pulp mill projects.

The approach also differs from point-source carbon capture at fossil fuel facilities. Capturing emissions from coal or natural gas plants prevents new carbon from entering the atmosphere but doesn't achieve net-negative status. BECCS, by contrast, removes carbon that was recently pulled from the air through photosynthesis, creating genuine atmospheric carbon reduction when combined with permanent geological storage.

How the Process Works

The carbon removal process at pulp mills follows a straightforward sequence:

1. Biomass combustion: Mills burn black liquor (concentrated lignin and spent chemicals from pulping) to generate steam and power
2. CO₂ capture: Post-combustion capture systems use liquid amine solvents to separate CO₂ from flue gas at 95%+ efficiency
3. Compression and transport: Captured CO₂ gets compressed and transported (often via existing pipeline infrastructure) to storage sites
4. Permanent storage: CO₂ is injected into deep saline aquifers or depleted oil/gas reservoirs where it mineralizes over time
5. Verification and credits: Third-party monitoring confirms storage permanence, generating verified carbon removal credits

The Path Forward

The CO280-SLB Capturi pilot success removes the biggest question mark around pulp mill BECCS: does the technology actually work at commercial conditions? The answer is a resounding yes. With 95% capture efficiency sustained over thousands of hours, the technical risk has essentially been retired. What remains is execution, which means lining up projects, securing financing, obtaining permits, and connecting capture facilities with carbon storage infrastructure.

The industry momentum suggests rapid scaling is possible. Beyond CO280's project pipeline, other developers are eyeing the pulp and paper sector. Sweden's Stockholm Exergi is advancing large-scale BECCS projects targeting 800,000 tonnes annually. Svante Technologies is working on a project at Domtar's Arkansas mill that could capture 1.5 million tonnes. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported several pilot studies, recognizing BECCS as a critical component of national decarbonization strategy.

Revitalizing Forest Product Communities

The economic implications extend beyond carbon credits. Pulp and paper mills are often economic anchors for rural, forestry-dependent communities. As traditional paper demand declines due to digitalization, mills face pressure to diversify revenue streams or risk closure. Carbon removal creates a new business line that leverages existing assets and workforce expertise. Mills become dual-purpose facilities producing forest products and permanent carbon removal, securing jobs and community stability while delivering climate benefits.

This isn't about abandoning industrial activity for climate goals. It's about transforming existing industries into part of the climate solution. The pulp and paper sector already manages vast forest resources sustainably (most mills use wood certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or Forest Stewardship Council). Adding carbon capture and storage to these operations creates a climate-positive industrial ecosystem that maintains economic vitality while actively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. With pilot validation complete and commercial projects advancing toward 2030 operation, BECCS in pulp mills is transitioning from promising concept to operational reality.