Bioenergy with Carbon
Capture & Storage
TTS v1.0 - Annex B
BECCS captures the biogenic CO₂ released when sustainably sourced biomass is combusted, fermented, or gasified for energy - power, heat, biofuel, or biogas - and permanently stores it in deep geological formations. Because the captured carbon was recently drawn from the atmosphere by growing plants, verified BECCS delivers genuine net atmospheric CO₂ removal rather than simple avoidance, provided the biomass feedstock meets Teravent's Sustainable Biomass Criteria.
Submit BECCS Project View TTS v1.0 Annex B →How this pathway works
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage pairs any biomass-to-energy conversion process - direct combustion for power, biofuel fermentation, biogas upgrading, or gasification - with post-combustion or process-stream CO₂ capture and permanent geological injection. Because the biomass feedstock absorbed atmospheric CO₂ during growth, and that same carbon is captured rather than released back to the atmosphere during energy conversion, the net effect is atmospheric carbon removal, not merely emissions avoidance - provided the biomass is sourced sustainably and does not draw down a standing carbon stock.
Under the Teravent Technology-Based Carbon Standard (TTS v1.0) Annex B, BECCS projects earn Teravent Technology Credits of the Removal type (TTC-R) for verified net tonnes of biogenic CO₂ captured and permanently stored, net of full lifecycle project emissions - including feedstock cultivation, harvest, and transport emissions. Storage follows the same geological injection protocols defined in Geologic CO₂ Storage (Annex G), of which this pathway is a capture-side host.
Three methodology variants are approved under Annex B, differentiated by the biomass-to-energy conversion process. All three require feedstock to meet the Teravent Sustainable Biomass Criteria - the single most consequential eligibility gate for this pathway, given the risk that biomass sourcing itself may cause land-use change emissions that outweigh the captured carbon benefit.
TTS v1.0 - Annex B
This pathway is governed exclusively by the Teravent Technology-Based Carbon Standard (TTS v1.0). No external registry, standard, or methodology is referenced or incorporated. All requirements - additionality, quantification, durability, safeguards, and credit issuance - are defined within TTS v1.0, Annex B, and the shared storage requirements of Annex G.
Three approved methodology variants
TTS v1.0 Annex B approves three discrete methodology types for the BECCS pathway, differentiated by the biomass-to-energy conversion process and the resulting CO₂ stream characteristics. All three share the same feedstock sustainability gate and geological storage requirements, differing primarily in capture point, CO₂ stream purity, and process emissions profile.
Dedicated biomass power stations - burning wood pellets, agricultural residues, or purpose-grown energy crops meeting the Sustainable Biomass Criteria - generate a flue gas stream from which CO₂ is captured using amine scrubbing or an equivalent post-combustion technology, the same capture chemistry used in fossil CCUS but applied to a biogenic emissions source. Captured CO₂ is compressed and transported to a geological storage site meeting Annex G requirements.
- Continuous CO₂ capture rate at flue gas outlet via calibrated metering, ±2% accuracy
- Biogenic carbon fraction verified by radiocarbon dating of the captured CO₂ stream or documented fuel mass-balance tracking
- Feedstock chain-of-custody documentation confirming sourcing region, harvest method, and Sustainable Biomass Criteria compliance
- Capture plant energy penalty and any auxiliary fossil fuel co-firing, deducted from net credit
- Injection well monitoring per Annex G storage integrity protocol
Fermentation-based biofuel production - corn or sugarcane ethanol, or anaerobic digestion biogas upgrading - produces an already highly concentrated CO₂ process stream (often >95% pure) as a direct co-product of fermentation, requiring minimal additional capture energy relative to dilute flue gas capture. This makes BEC-M02 typically the lowest-cost BECCS methodology, though feedstock sustainability scrutiny is highest here given the prevalence of dedicated energy-crop cultivation in this sub-sector.
- Continuous CO₂ capture rate at fermentation vent or biogas upgrading outlet, ±2% accuracy
- Feedstock type and sourcing region documented per batch - residue-derived versus dedicated crop feedstock distinguished
- Indirect land-use change (ILUC) risk score assigned per feedstock type and sourcing region at registration
- Compression and drying energy consumption logged for lifecycle deduction
- Injection well monitoring per Annex G storage integrity protocol
Biomass gasification converts solid feedstock into a hydrogen- and CO-rich syngas at high temperature under limited oxygen supply. CO₂ is captured from the syngas stream - either before combustion for power generation or before further catalytic synthesis into biofuels or biochemicals - using pressure-swing adsorption or physical solvent scrubbing. This methodology is typically deployed at earlier-stage facilities relative to BEC-M01 and BEC-M02, and frequently produces a co-product (renewable hydrogen or synthetic fuel) alongside the captured CO₂.
- Continuous CO₂ capture rate at syngas processing outlet, ±2% accuracy
- Gasifier feedstock composition and moisture content per batch
- Co-product output (hydrogen, synthetic fuel) tracked for lifecycle emissions allocation between products
- Technology Readiness Level documentation updated at each verification for TRL-based additionality screening
- Injection well monitoring per Annex G storage integrity protocol
Which emission sources must be counted
TTS v1.0 Module 3 requires a full lifecycle GHG emissions inventory within the project boundary, deducted from gross captured biogenic CO₂ to arrive at the Net TTC figure. Because feedstock sourcing carries meaningful upstream emissions risk, BECCS carries a wider mandatory boundary than most other TTS pathways.
Measurement, reporting
& verification
Teravent's Science Advisory Board assesses each pathway against four MRV dimensions. BECCS carries very high confidence on capture and storage measurement, given its shared engineering lineage with CCUS and DAC, but comparatively lower additionality clarity given variability in regional feedstock and biomass energy markets.
Captured CO₂ is quantified via continuous flow metering at ±2% accuracy at the capture outlet. The biogenic origin of the captured stream - essential to the removal claim - is verified either through radiocarbon (¹⁴C) isotopic testing of the CO₂ sample, which directly distinguishes recently-fixed biogenic carbon from fossil carbon, or through documented fuel mass-balance tracking where co-firing with fossil fuel occurs and isotopic testing is impractical. Feedstock sustainability is assessed through chain-of-custody documentation, satellite land-cover monitoring for dedicated energy crop sites, and an ILUC risk score applied per the Teravent Sustainable Biomass Criteria, updated as feedstock sourcing changes.
Demonstrating additionality
TTS v1.0 Module 2 requires all projects to pass a three-test additionality framework, with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) screen applied ahead of the common practice test. For BECCS, the financial additionality test carries particular weight, since the underlying bioenergy facility (power plant, biorefinery, or gasifier) may already be commercially viable without the carbon capture retrofit.
Leakage types & deductions
TTS v1.0 Module 3 defines three leakage types applicable across all engineered pathways. BECCS carries the most extensive leakage exposure of any TTS pathway given its dependence on a biological feedstock supply chain, with indirect land-use change as the dominant risk.
Buffer pool & reversal risk
All Annex B credits carry Class III Geological permanence (>1,000-year storage horizon), inherited from the Annex G storage protocol governing the injection site. Buffer pool contributions protect credit buyers against reversal events at the storage complex. Buffer rates are set by the project's Storage Integrity Risk Rating (SIRR), assessed identically to standalone Annex G projects.
| Methodology | SIRR Rating | Buffer Pool Rate | Primary Reversal Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEC-M01 Power Generation | Low | 2–7% | Storage complex reversal (per Annex G); feedstock supply chain disruption |
| BEC-M02 Biorefinery / Fermentation | Low | 2–6% | Storage complex reversal (per Annex G); ILUC risk misclassification |
| BEC-M03 Gasification | Low–Medium | 3–8% | Storage complex reversal; earlier-stage technology performance risk |
Key registration criteria
Projects must meet all of the following minimum requirements to qualify for registration under TTS Annex B. Additional methodology-specific requirements are detailed in the Annex B methodology tables for each BEC-M code, and storage-side requirements follow Annex G.
Sustainable Development
Goal alignment
All Teravent registered BECCS projects must complete an SDG impact assessment at registration and at each verification period. Four SDGs are systematically tracked for this pathway, reflecting its dual identity as both an energy and a land-use pathway. Projects may apply for co-benefit quality labels where independently verified indicators are met.
Deployment scope: Global, concentrated in regions with established biomass power, ethanol, or biogas industries and proximity to suitable geological storage - the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast, Brazil, and Northern Europe are the most active current deployment regions.
Ready to register your
BECCS project?
Submit a Project Concept Note under TTS v1.0 Annex B to begin your registration. Confirm your feedstock meets the Teravent Sustainable Biomass Criteria, select the BEC-M code matching your conversion process, install continuous CO₂ metering, and appoint an accredited VVB to validate your PDD and storage integrity plan.