EUBCE 2026 - Akashdeep DEY - Improving Reliability and Confidence of Environmental Impact Results from LCA of BECCS Systems: Allocation of Life cycle Impacts to Different Product Streams

Improving Reliability and Confidence of Environmental Impact Results from LCA of BECCS Systems: Allocation of Life cycle Impacts to Different Product Streams

Short Introductive summary

Bio-Energy with integrated Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) systems present a promising pathway for carbon dioxide removal (CDR), yet their evaluations of their life cycle environmental impacts remain fraught with uncertainty, particularly in how emissions are allocated across the multiple co-products. Such an “allocation” problem is a well-discussed challenge in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), but there is limited academic literature on the best solution for bioenergy. In particular, there is no scientific literature that consider the particular case of biogas production with carbon capture and storage (CCS). This topic needs further research and consideration to produce reliable recommendations for fair impact allocation in this sector. Sharing the environmental impacts and benefits between different co-products in a scientifically robust manner can better inform policy formulation and the distribution of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) certificates. It also supports biogas plant developers and operators in accurately evaluating the environmental impacts and benefits of their systems. This paper is based on collaborative research work between Future Biogas and Edinburgh University.

A. Dey, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, UNITED KINGDOM
D. Christopherson, Future Biogas, Guildford, UNITED KINGDOM
R.C. Thomson, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh, UNITED KINGDOM