The UK’s voluntary carbon market (VCM) is facing a critical turning point, with a growing need to move beyond simple offsets to verifiable, permanent carbon removal solutions. The focus is shifting to engineered solutions, with Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) emerging as a key technology for the UK’s net-zero ambitions.

According to a recent opinion piece, for the New Civil Engineer, Elliot Renton, CEO of Evero, BECCS offers a triple benefit by removing carbon dioxide (CO2​) from the atmosphere, generating renewable energy, and creating a circular economy by using waste biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More. Evero’s InBECCS project, a planned retrofit of its Ince Biopower plant, aims to be a commercial-scale BECCS facility. This plant currently processes 110,000 tonnes of post-consumer waste wood annually, generating electricity for up to 38,000 homes. The addition of carbon capture technology would allow it to deliver permanent carbon removals at scale.

To unlock the full potential of BECCS and other greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies, Renton argues that a few key policy and market changes are necessary. The voluntary carbon market needs a more robust framework that clearly distinguishes between offsets and high-integrity removals, with the latter being treated as a higher tier of climate action. He also highlights the need for a clear and supportive policy environment to de-risk early-stage projects and attract private investment. Lastly, stronger demand signals from corporate transition plans, particularly for Scope 3 emissions, are needed to create a sustained market for durable removals.

Renton emphasises that while nature-based solutions are important, they have limitations in terms of permanence and scalability. Engineered solutions like BECCS, particularly those using waste wood, offer a powerful and scalable way to form the backbone of the UK’s net-zero strategy, complemented by other methods.

PRESS RELEASE: The critical role of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in scaling the carbon removal market