The report, European Biochar Market Report 2023/2024, was sponsored by Carbon Drawdown Initiative, Carbon Removal Partners, and Carbonfuture.

District energy operators and municipalities keen on achieving net-zero goals will find this report particularly enlightening as it explores how biochar can be leveraged to meet sustainability targets while providing numerous examples of case implementations, several of which have been featured on this platform.

The featured reference projects in the report are representative split on countries/regions and system size – medium to industrial size (from 200 to over 5,000 tonnes per annum).

They were selected based on the equipment supplier has already realized multiple projects that are up and running with an operational experience of several years and the equipment has proven to be capable of producing certified biochar, the Reference Project itself is either operational or in construction and has a “smart energy utilization concept” – a key point that transcends the entire report.

Continued strong biochar growth

According to EBI figures, biochar production capacity in Europe continues to show strong growth. In 2023 it grew to 75,000 tonnes of biochar, 41 percent up on 2022 and is expected to grow to 115,000 tonnes in 2024.

The three-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 2020 – 2023 was 54 percent, and based on the project pipeline for 2024, this growth rate is expected to be maintained at 55 percent.

In 2023 a total of 48 biochar production plants have been installed and commissioned. By the end of 2023, the cumulative number of operational biochar production plants in Europe has grown to 171 installations.

By the end of 2024, the cumulative number of production plants in Europe is expected to grow to over 220 installations. Many further projects are in advanced planning and/or in the permitting process for commissioning in 2025 – almost 40 projects with around 35,000 tonnes of production capacity.

Nordics key region for BCR

The report highlights that about 70 percent of the production capacity at the end of 2023 is distributed among three dominating regions/countries of which the Nordics (28%) with Denmark, Finland, and Sweden has grown to become the most relevant region in terms of Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR).

Germany (26%), Austria, and Switzerland (16%) come in as second and third respectively while the share of “other countries” is steadily increasing with EBI noting most “relevant activities” occurring in Spain, France, and the UK.

The Nordics become even more prominent if other non-BCR uses are included as there is additional biocarbon production in Finland, Sweden, and Norway catering to the metallurgical industries.

Market trends

The report notes that although valorization of the climate benefit of BCR, for example, revenue from carbon dioxide (CO₂) certificates on voluntary carbon markets (VCM), has become an indispensable element of the biochar business, “only” circa 75 percent of the production capacity is certified carbon removal.

At the same time, rapidly increasing production volumes have put market prices for biochar under pressure.

Looking ahead, markets expected to show the strongest growth include applications in concrete production, and urban soil while the replacement of fossil carbon in metallurgy, a non-BCR application, is becoming a relevant application for biogenic carbon.

The report notes that over 30 technology providers are active in the European market, many at a technology readiness level (TRL) 8 or 9, and some having already installed dozens of systems.

EBI expects to see a continuation of new industrial players entering the market as the industry grows.

On the feedstock side, while woody biomass such as forestry- and wood processing residues continue to dominate, agricultural residues are increasingly becoming relevant along with other municipal organic waste (MOW) sources such as sewage sludge.

Heat utilization essential

Keeping a “smart energy utilization concept” in mind, the report also emphasizes that the “best possible valorization of the surplus energy” produced in biomass pyrolysis is “essential for the commercial viability of projects.”

With a massive expansion of wind and solar PV driving the de-fossilization of Europe’s electricity generation system, replacing fossil carbon in the metallurgic industry, like iron and silicon, has started to become important for several producers.

De-fossilizing the heating sector and replacing fossil carbon in metallurgy is the bigger challenge, remarked Hansjörg Lerchenmüller.

This may also partially explain why the Nordics, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are emerging as the most relevant regions – widespread use of distributed energy such as district heating and/or cooling with infrastructure already in place, deployment of biomass use for energy, and sizeable metallurgical industry.

BCR and BECCS sensible CDR pathways

The report looks at the inherent correlation between emissions reduction and carbon removal for the definition of “sensible” net-zero pathways.

The carbon dioxide footprints of energy generation are important to find sensible net-zero pathways. BCR is a no-regret solution; it contributes both to carbon removal and emissions reduction through the provision of industrial- and/or district heating, said Hansjörg Lerchenmüller.

Of the six CDR options – afforestation/reforestation, soil carbon, enhanced weathering, biochar carbon removal (BCR), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) – the latter three have an inherent correlation with energy.

To understand the effect of the correlation between emissions reduction and carbon removal, the CO₂ footprints of energy generation need to be taken into account. The net CO₂ effect per captured tonne of CO₂ – a key metric for effective climate impact – is highest for BCR. Regardless of the progress on de-fossilization, BCR always has the highest net CO₂ effect per tonne of CO₂ removed, explained Hansjörg Lerchenmüller illustrating with the EU 2030 target for reduction of the carbon footprint of heat to 150 g/kWth and electricity to 110 g/kWe.

Another key metric highlighted in the report is the net CO₂ effect per tonne of biomass given that biomass is a limited resource.

With the current average carbon footprint of the EU energy system (225 g/kWth for heat and 200 g/kWe for electricity), BECCS shows the highest net CO₂ effect per tonne of biomass while biomass efficiency in the BCR options is comparable to the energy-only use of biomass, ie. bioheat, biopower and/or combined heat and power (CHP).

However, with a reduction in the CO₂ footprint of the energy system, the BCR options become more advantageous to the bioenergy-only options.

BCR shows higher net CO₂ effects than conventional bioenergy solutions and is a good option when infrastructure requirements and/or economics prove too difficult or prohibitive for BECCS. Furthermore, a combination of BCR and CCS is comparable to BECCS. However, different CDR technologies will have different growth trajectories and sweet spots; only a portfolio approach can deliver the required amounts of carbon removal, Hansjörg Lerchenmüller said adding that EBI is setting-up a project to make a sweet-spot analysis for different CDR technologies.

Biochar is a relevant and scalable CDR solution

Thus far biochar has demonstrated a strong track record for fast growth. Looking ahead, the report looks at several forecast scenarios for 2030 and beyond to assess if this is achievable and to what extent.

Assuming a carbon removal of 2.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of biochar and extrapolating a growth rate of 50 percent, this would bring BCR to 2.3 million tonnes by 2030, which is equivalent to just under half of the ambition of the EU Commission for permanent technical carbon removal.

The report finds that to achieve 2.3 million tonnes of BCR by 2030, the number of newly installed production plants will need to grow from 41 installations in 2023 to just over 300 new plants by 2030.

The cumulative installations will have to grow from 171 plants in 2023 to 1,250 plants by 2030, a growth rate of 33 percent. This is lower than the 50 percent production growth rate as the average system size is also expected to increase, Stiesdal’s SkyClean plant is a case in point.

EBI modeling beyond 2030, to 2040 with lower- and higher growth rates respectively suggests between 40 – 80 million tonnes of BCR, in line with the European Commission’s 2040 target of 75 million tonnes for permanent technical CDR (including BCR) and an overall target of 400 million tonnes for all CDR solutions.

Are these 2030 and 2040 scenarios feasible? The report finds that for technology providers, a growth rate of 33 percent in the number of installations appears to be perfectly achievable. Although project development, permitting, and financing can be improved, in principle it does not seem to be a limiting factor for growth either.

While a limited resource, biomass availability is not foreseen as a major constraint given the availability of untapped resources such as agricultural residues and other sources such as green waste, sewage sludge, and digestate from biogas plants.

Furthermore, as BCR shows higher net CO₂ effects than conventional bioenergy combustion systems, it is feasible that a share of the existing fleet of around 143,000 medium-sized combustion plants (1 – 50 MW) will be retrofitted and/or replaced with pyrolysis technologies.

BCR is today’s most relevant industrial CDR technology for permanent carbon removal, and it is capable of delivering carbon removal at climate-relevant volumes within 15 years. However, if we don’t cut emissions, creating carbon sinks is irrelevant, ended Hansjörg Lerchenmüller.

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In particular, the specific recognition of biogenic permanent carbon removal will play a crucial role in Europe to achieve net zero, as Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) can lead to negative emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as Waste-to-Energy (WtE).

Alignment of the definition of carbon removals with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) means certainty for investors and emitters and helps to harmonize a framework that will develop an international market for carbon removals.

According to ESWET, carbon capture technology is at the stage where it can make a serious impact on CO₂ reduction – all that is needed is a policy framework that facilitates and expedites its development.

With this and other recent developments such as the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and Industrial Carbon Management Strategy, we commend the EU for taking the initiative in decarbonizing European industry. As details on the final agreement emerge, we call on the EU to ensure that the Carbon Removals Certification Framework interacts with the Emissions Trading System (ETS) in a manner that provides incentives for industries to remove carbon and accelerates Europe’s path to net zero, the statement said.

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Once entered into force, the regulation will be the first step towards introducing a comprehensive carbon removal and soil emission reduction framework in EU legislation and contribute to the EU’s ambitious goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050, as set out in the European Climate Law.

The deal reached on February 20, 2024, is provisional, pending formal adoption by both institutions.

Scope of the regulation

The regulation will include an open definition of carbon removals in line with the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and which only covers atmospheric or biogenic carbon removals.

The Carbon Removal Certification Framework will cover the following carbon removal and emission reduction activities and differentiate between four corresponding types of units:

• permanent carbon removal (storing atmospheric or biogenic carbon for several centuries);
• temporary carbon storage in long-lasting products (such as wood-based construction products) of a duration of at least 35 years and that can be monitored on-site during the entire monitoring period;
• temporary carbon storage from carbon farming (e.g. restoring forests and soil, wetland management, seagrass meadows);
• soil emission reduction (from carbon farming) which includes carbon and nitrous oxide (NOx) reductions from soil management, and which activity must overall reduce the carbon emissions of soils or increase carbon removals from biological matter. Examples of activities are wetland management, no tilling and cover crop practices, reduced use of fertilizer combined with soil management practices, etc.

Compared to the Commission’s proposal this means an extension of the scope of the regulation to soil emission reductions.

Temporary carbon storage from carbon farming and soil emission reduction activities must last at least five years to be certified and must not lead to land being acquired for speculative purposes negatively affecting rural communities.

By 2026, the Commission will be tasked with producing a report on the feasibility of certifying activities that result in the reduction of emissions other than those related to soils (carbon and NOx).

The report will be based on a pilot certification methodology for activities that reduce agricultural emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management.

Activities that do not result in carbon removals or soil emission reductions, such as avoided deforestation or renewable energy projects, are not included in the scope of the regulation.

The co-legislators also agreed to exclude enhanced hydrocarbon recovery from the permanent carbon removal activities and to explicitly clarify that activities and operators in the marine environments are included in the scope of the regulation.

The new rules will apply to activities taking place in the EU. However, when reviewing the regulation, the Commission should consider the possibility of allowing geological carbon storage in neighbouring third countries, provided that those countries align with EU environmental and safety standards.

Certification criteria and procedure

The provisional agreement maintains the Commission proposal’s requirement that carbon removal activities need to meet four overarching criteria to be certified: quantification, additionality, long-term storage, and sustainability.

Based on these criteria, the Commission, assisted by an expert group, will develop tailored certification methodologies for different types of carbon removal activities, to ensure the correct, harmonized- and cost-effective implementation of the carbon removal criteria.

The co‑legislators have made some changes to define more precisely based on which criteria the methodologies must be developed and included a list of indications as to which activities should be prioritized.

The co-legislators agreed to maintain the key elements of the certification process and the voluntary nature of certification but included further clarification as to how the certification process works.

On sustainability for carbon farming, the co-legislators have added indications on how the sustainability objectives must be understood and have included that a carbon farming activity must always generate at least a biodiversity co-benefit, including soil health and avoidance of land degradation.

For carbon farming activities, the provisional agreement gives member states the possibility to provide advice to farmers on the application procedure and allows for synergies between the Common Agricultural Policy’s identification system for agricultural parcels (LPIS) and the information generated by the certification process under this framework.

Carbon net benefit

Carbon net benefits will generate units corresponding to one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq) of certified net benefit generated by one of the carbon removal or soil emission reduction activities.

The co-legislators have further agreed to include that the certified units can only be used for the EU’s climate objectives and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and must not contribute to third countries’ NDCs and international compliance schemes.

These rules, including the corresponding adjustments, will be reviewed in 2026.

Monitoring and liability

The regulation sets out clear monitoring obligations and liability rules for operators.

The negotiators agreed to distinguish between the activity period and the monitoring period (which always covers at least the activity period) and clarified that operators will be liable to address any cases of reversal (i.e. the release of CO₂ back into the atmosphere) stemming from a carbon removal activity during the monitoring period.

The agreement calls on the Commission to include clear liability mechanisms when developing the certification methodologies.

The liability mechanisms should address cases of reversal and the consequences of incomplete or interrupted monitoring and non-compliance by the operators during the monitoring period.

They may include collective buffers or accounts of carbon removal units and up-front insurance mechanisms.

EU registry

The text agreed by the co-legislators calls on the Commission to establish a common and transparent electronic EU-wide registry four years after the entry into force of the regulation to make information on the certification and units publicly available and accessible, including certificates of compliance and summaries of certification audits.

Until then, certification schemes under the framework must provide public registries based on automated and interoperable systems.

The co-legislators also introduced rules on the financing of the EU registry, which will be funded by annual fixed user fees that are proportionate to the use of the registry.

Next steps

The provisional agreement will now be submitted for endorsement to the Member States’ representatives in the Council (Coreper) and to the Parliament’s environment committee.

If approved, the text will then need to be formally adopted by both institutions, following revision by lawyer-linguists, before it can be published in the EU’s Official Journal and enter into force.

The Parliament and the Council reached an agreement that will prevent greenwashing, foster private investment in carbon removals, and develop voluntary carbon markets! Proud of this and of being the rapporteur on this!, commented Lídia Pereira, MEP (EPP PT), and rapporteur on social media.

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In a statement, the European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology (ESWET) says that it “wholeheartedly welcomes this initiative” adding that well-designed regulatory frameworks are crucial to transform this strategy into reality.  well-designed regulatory frameworks are crucial.

CCUS technologies are already there and are ready to serve the EU cause, however, to do that, the frameworks that regulate their development and deployment must be comprehensive and well-designed, said Charoula Melliou, Head of Policy at ESWET.

Thorough consideration of infrastructure and storage development

The trade body is pleased to see that the topics of geological storage exploration and carbon dioxide (CO₂) transport infrastructure development have been considered thoroughly in the strategy.

However, ESWET notes that a strong investment and financial policy to support both the transport and storage of CO₂ is essential. The EU should therefore also ensure a balanced distribution of carbon storage projects across regions to facilitate equal contributions to its goals.

Furthermore, with carbon dioxide removals (CDR), a field where the waste-to-energy (WtE) sector has significant potential thanks to its more than 50 percent biogenic CO₂ emissions allowing for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), the topic requires more consideration in the execution of this strategy.

The EU legislation must incentivize industrial carbon removals very concretely, with clear objectives and support mechanisms.

Good starting point for CCU

As for carbon capture and utilization (CCU), the Commission’s proposed strategy offers a good starting point as to how the EU intends to support the utilization of carbon, both in its production and in its consumption in industrial sectors.

ESWET deems that clear objectives and targets in relevant legislation, as well as precise accounting rules, are crucial to enable a higher uptake of sustainable carbon, substituting fossil carbon adding that a technology-neutral approach is required here.

ESWET appreciates the inclusion of various policy strands in the strategy, creating a favourable environment for industrial carbon management approaches.

Yet, hard-to-abate sectors, including Waste-to-Energy, should be carefully taken into account, and more is expected from the EU on this matter, Charoula Melliou, Head of Policy at ESWET, highlighted.

Regarding specific legislative matters, ESWET urges the inclusion of CCU alongside CCS in the upcoming Net-Zero Industry Act and stresses the importance of the Carbon Removal Certification Framework to counterbalance residual emissions from hard-to-abate sectors, while evaluating all available options and being technology-specific.

Finally, ESWET says that it supports the potential integration of industrial carbon removals into the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) accompanied by tailored certification methodologies and an intermediary body handling carbon removal certificates.

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Emma Wiesner MEP opened the conference and underlined that, when joining the European Parliament, she would have expected to promote regulations to end fossil fuels rather than putting in discussion renewable solutions such as bioenergy.

She encouraged the bioenergy value chain to take ownership of sustainability and proactively address areas for improvement.

Launch of a bioenergy manifesto

Jean-Marc Jossart, Bioenergy Europe’s Secretary General presented “3 steps toward the energy transition”, Bioenergy Europe manifesto for the 2024 EU Parliament elections, and called on future EU institutions to address pressing issues such as climate change, energy security, and a rising cost-of-living.

It is time to end all fossil fuel subsidies and develop a clear defossilisation strategy, Jean-Marc Jossart said.

A timely session focused on carbon removal and the significance of Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and biochar (BECCR) in delivering climate neutrality.

Opening the second day, Lídia Pereira MEP, rapporteur on the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) emphasized that “the role of negative emission technologies and bio-based carbon removals is crucial and irreplaceable”.

In a video message, Commissioner Thierry Breton, stressed the imperative to decarbonize the energy system.

We must decarbonize the energy system, increase our energy sovereignty, and decrease energy prices. For this, we need affordable, abundant net zero energy from renewable sources. Bioenergy ticks all the boxes. It can provide affordable heating for our population, low-carbon energy for our industries, advanced biofuels for our transports, and non-intermittent power to complement solar and wind energy, Commissioner Thierry Breton said.

Christoph Pfemeter, President of Bioenergy Europe, underscored the growing recognition of bioenergy’s role in climate strategies:

The IPCC and the International Energy Agency have made it clear that climate goals cannot be achieved without more bioenergy and BECCS. More and more industrial sectors, regions, and municipalities are realizing that phasing out fossil energy is not possible without bioenergy, Christoph Pfemeter said.

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In April 2023, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a resolution on Sustainable carbon cycles saying that while the EU must always prioritize swift and predictable reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon removals must play a growing role in achieving EU climate neutrality by 2050 to balance out emissions that cannot be eliminated.

In October 2023, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety (ENVI) adopted its position on CRCF, now adopted by Parliament.

MEPs hope that the establishment of an EU certification framework for carbon removals (CFCR) should help to increase the use of carbon removals, build trust with stakeholders and industry, and counter “greenwashing.”

MEPs stress that the scheme must be in line with international standards and that an ‘EU registry’ must be set up to ensure transparency, provide information to the public, and avoid the risk of fraud and double counting of carbon removals.

They also see a need to distinguish between the definitions, quality criteria, and the rules on carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products, due to their differences and environmental impact.

Climate change is already so serious that we cannot rely solely on emissions reductions but also need to remove carbon. This tool makes this possible, as we are advancing with rules to regulate a market that has been plagued by greenwashing, lack of clarity, and distrust. Certification will help attract private investment in carbon removal projects, thereby assisting us in our climate transition and furthering Europe’s climate leadership, commented rapporteur Lídia Pereira (EPP, PT) after the plenary vote.

With both Parliament and Council having adopted their positions, the trilogue negotiation can now begin.

Acknowledgement of BECCS welcomed

Commenting on the Parliament’s adoption on November 21, 2023, the European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology (ESWET), an organization that represents the suppliers of Waste-to-Energy technology, a hard-to-abate sector that must rely on alternative solutions to fully decarbonize itself, says that it “strongly” supports the position taken by the European Parliament.

ESWET notes that following the Council’s example, the Parliament acknowledges Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) as a permanent carbon removal activity, securing its status as a biogenic carbon storage method with the potential to endure for a very long time.

Concerning long-term carbon storage, the Parliament asked that the certification of carbon storage in products should initially be limited to harvested wood products or materials for construction storing carbon for at least five decades.

ESWET calls on legislators not to limit the scope of long-term storage and to carefully evaluate all the available options, especially the ones storing carbon from hard-to-abate sectors.

Since the publication of the proposal by the Commission, ESWET has been asking for clarity when it comes to the possible interaction between the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Removals Framework.

ESWET highlights that the monitoring requirements agreed under the Carbon Removal Mechanism can potentially overlap with the ETS, so the articulation between the two systems has to be carefully designed.

In addition, the European Commission must ensure that the certification methodologies to be established in the follow-up legislation are technology-specific so that they can fully consider the particular features of each technology, including Waste-to-Energy-related technologies.

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While environment MEPs stress that reducing GHG emissions must remain a top priority for the EU, they support this first EU-wide voluntary CFCR, which will improve the EU’s capacity to quantify, monitor, and verify carbon removals.

Certification needed

The aim is to accelerate their deployment, build trust with stakeholders and industry, and help counter “greenwashing” by ensuring that all operators apply the same rules.

The Commission will be tasked to develop certification methodologies for the different activities. MEPs stress that the scheme must be in line with international and scientific standards and that the Commission should be in charge of a ‘Union registry’, to ensure transparency of the scheme, provide information to the public, and avoid the risk of fraud and double counting of carbon removals.

MEPs also suggest to set-up a Platform on Carbon Removal, Carbon Farming, and Carbon Storage in Product Activities consisting of experts from academia, civil society, and stakeholders including farmers and forest owners to monitor and analyze trends and advise the Commission on the technical certification methodologies.

BECCS is a permanent carbon removal technology

MEPs stress the need to distinguish the definitions, quality criteria, and rules on the use of activities regarding carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products due to their different specificities and environmental impact.

MEPs say that carbon removals must be able to store atmospheric or biogenic carbon for several centuries to be certified.

Geological storage, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air carbon capture and storage, or through permanently bound carbon mineralization, should therefore be considered permanent carbon removals.

Carbon farming and carbon storage in products

Carbon farming is an activity related to land management, coastal management, or animal husbandry that results in carbon farming sequestration or carbon farming emission reductions.

MEPs want to add the criteria that for an activity to count as ‘carbon farming’ it must lead to emission reductions for a period of at least five years.

They also underline that carbon farming activities should not negatively affect the EU’s food security or lead to “land grabbing” or land speculation.

To ensure long-term carbon storage, the certification of carbon storage in products should initially be limited to harvested wood products or materials for construction storing carbon for at least five decades.

Finally, MEPs want to include an obligation for the Commission to report on the need for a legislative proposal on the establishment of EU targets for permanent carbon removals and for land-based sequestration as part of the post-2030 EU climate framework.

Climate change is already so serious that we cannot rely solely on emissions reductions but also need to remove carbon. This framework is the tool that makes this possible, as we are advancing with rules to regulate a market that has been plagued by greenwashing, lack of clarity, and distrust. Certification will help attract private investment to climate removal projects, thereby assisting us in our climate transition and furthering Europe’s climate leadership, commented rapporteur Lídia Pereira (EPP, PT) after the vote.

The EP is scheduled to adopt its mandate during the November 20-23 plenary session after which it is ready to start negotiations with EU member states.

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It has become one of the most widely used frameworks worldwide with more than 2,100 large companies in Europe using it.

Yet, the GHG Protocol still does not have accounting rules for biomethane certificates, which contain the certified GHG emissions of the consumption of biomethane (aka renewable natural gas – RNG) and represent the predominant way in which biomethane is purchased.

Recognition of sustainable biomethane (RNG) certificates will be key in delivering the sustainable scale-up of the sector to reach the 35 bcm biomethane production target in Europe by 2030.

The meeting, which took place during New York Climate Week, was an opportunity for leaders of the biogases value chain and the World Resource Institute to discuss the process to include the treatment of biomethane certificates under the GHG Protocol.

Looking back at the good cooperation and constructive exchanges, we continue to work with the World Resource Institute to facilitate the uptake of biomethane within the GHG Protocol. GHG emissions reporting frameworks can support the EU’s efforts to reach 35 bcm of sustainable biomethane production by 2030, by enabling corporate end-users to report on their biomethane purchases and to measure its climate benefits on their activities, commented Harmen Dekker, CEO of EBA.

Develop new RNG certificate accounting rules

They agreed on the urgency to define a reliable and solid methodology for biomethane certificates, as more and more companies using the GHG Protocol framework look to biomethane to decarbonize their activities.

They decided to leverage their organizations’ expertise to speed up the process of developing new rules for the accounting of biomethane certificates, such as EU Proofs of sustainability, in the GHG inventory of companies.

EBA, along with RNG Coalition, committed to providing in the coming months expertise to the World Resource Institute (WRI) concerning the certification and documentation of biomethane in the European Union and North America.

They specifically agreed on plans for a workshop in 2024.

Our engagement with the World Resource Institute continues to be constructive. A market-based approach to environmental attributes is a proven catalyst for growth and ensures renewable gases contribute positively to our clean energy present and future, said David Cox, Co-Founder and CFO at RNG Coalition.

By providing reliable proof of the renewability and sustainability of purchased biomethane volumes, biomethane certificates are a foundation of the growing biomethane market.

They create value for producers who inject biomethane into existing gas grids and offer an affordable opportunity for end-users to decarbonize their processes.

Today’s meeting was a productive and positive conversation between WRI, EBA, and RNG Coalition. I confirmed that WRI plans to remove the biomethane annex from the final Land Sector and Removals Guidance in order to allow for a full exploration of these options and issues and that we are committed to working with them to ensure that existing best practices are incorporated in any future guidance on GHG Protocol so that renewable gas transactions are carried out with the highest level of integrity and confidence, said Pankaj Bhatia, Global Director of GHG Protocol at World Resources Institute.

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Therefore, the implementation of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies represents a significant opportunity for the sector to decarbonize itself.

The certification of carbon removals as proposed by the Commission is a positive first step in the deployment of the full CCUS value chain in Europe. Offering a clear definition of “carbon removal” is essential in developing a comprehensive framework, which can also facilitate the monitoring of the removals.

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the feedstock, approximately 50 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from WtE plants are of biogenic origin. This percentage varies depending on a number of factors such as the region, time period, etc.

As such, carbon removals from WtE plants partially fit under the proposed definition by the Commission. However, to guarantee certifications of removals of CO₂ from installations, ESWET underlines the importance of having “clear rules for monitoring and accounting of emissions that will reflect the particularities of the WtE sector.”

Moreover, as monitoring requirements to be decided under the Carbon Removal Mechanism can potentially overlap with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), ESWET cautions that the “articulation between the two systems has to be carefully designed.”

In addition, the Delegated Acts that will establish certification methodologies should consider the particular features of WtE plants.

ESWET deems that recognizing the storage of CO₂ in “long-lasting products and materials” is a good start, however, it is essential to acknowledge the full spectrum of the utilization of biogenic CO₂, such as the direct use in greenhouses to substitute fossil CO₂, utilization in the chemicals sector, and promising technologies like mineralization.

In short, the full contribution of carbon utilization to the circular economy should not be overlooked.

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In a position paper, ESWET highlights that for WtE, the integration of CCUS is an extra step towards decarbonization but one with potential.

Indeed, capturing and permanently storing biogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) can “enable waste to be a net-zero or even net-negative emissions energy source”, as acknowledged by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (2022).

While projects in the sector – in Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark, to name a few – have been developing at a fast pace over the last few years, showing that the technology is mature, a comprehensive regulation at the EU level is still missing in the successful implementation of CCUS in WtE plants.

To allow the WtE sector to fully contribute to the EU decarbonization efforts, ESWET is calling for the carbon removal certification to:

• Establish a clear legislative framework with no contradiction with other decarbonization instruments;
• Facilitate the access to EU funding for Waste-to-Energy to integrate carbon capture, especially for large-scale plants;
• Provide business case and financial incentive for removals of both fossil, and biogenic CO₂

A solid certification scheme will also enable the development of the full value chain, including carbon transport, storage, and utilization.

Indeed, as more financial support is needed to ensure the full-scale deployment of infrastructure in Europe and ensure the effectiveness of carbon removals, clear regulation will provide visibility to investors and facilitate new projects.

Waste-to-Energy plants already act as carbon sinks by providing heat and electricity, diverting waste from landfills, and recovering metals and minerals from incineration bottom ash.

Moreover, due to the heterogeneous composition of the non-recyclable waste treated, about 50 percent of the emissions emitted by the plants are of biogenic origin, meaning from biomass.

The integration of CCUS will allow these plants to become carbon-negative operators.

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