Greenhouse gas removals: call for evidence

Ember's submission to the Independent Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals warns against overreliance on Power BECCS, citing significant delays at the Drax power station, technological uncertainty, and high costs to consumers. The document highlights that Drax's BECCS project has been delayed to the early 2030s despite substantial public subsidies and that the technology's carbon neutrality is scientifically contested. Ember notes a 60.1% decrease in estimated residual emissions to be balanced by engineered removals between the 6th and 7th Carbon Budgets. It further argues that Power BECCS creates a dangerous dependence on imported biomass, with over 99% of Drax's 2024 wood pellets being imported, primarily from North America. The report recommends winding down Drax subsidies after 2031 and prioritising decarbonisation of easier-to-abate sectors like power, buildings, and transport.

• Power BECCS at the Drax power station has faced significant delays and instability; while a 2021 claim suggested scaling to 8 MtCO2 annually by 2027, the project was delayed to at least the early 2030s in February 2025, following mass redundancies at C-Capture, the firm managing the pilot plant.
• The financial burden of Power BECCS on UK households is high and potentially rising; current subsidies for unabated biomass have added £10 to household bills, and total subsidies for Drax BECCS could reach £1.7bn annually due to increasing woody biomass feedstock costs.
• There is significant uncertainty regarding the technological readiness and carbon efficacy of Power BECCS, with TRL estimates varying between 5-6 (IPCC) and 7 (HM Government), and scientific evidence suggesting burning wood for power is often not carbon neutral.
• UK carbon budget estimates for engineered removals have shifted drastically; the volume of residual emissions to be balanced by these technologies fell by 60.1% from 722 MtCO2e in the 6th Carbon Budget (CB6) to 434.1 MtCO2e in the 7th Carbon Budget (CB7).
• Power BECCS poses a risk to UK energy security due to extreme reliance on imports; in 2024, over 99% of wood pellets burned at Drax were imported, mostly from North America, with domestic sources averaging only 0.71% over the last six years.
• The UK government is advised to prioritise the decarbonisation of easier-to-abate sectors—such as power, buildings, and transport—over high-risk engineered removals to ensure carbon budgets are met.

APA

Murdoch, J., & Mayo, F. (2025). Greenhouse gas removals: call for evidence. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/UK-Greenhouse-gas-removals-call-for-evidence-PDF.pdf

Chicago

Murdoch, Josie, and Frankie Mayo. Greenhouse gas removals: call for evidence. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/UK-Greenhouse-gas-removals-call-for-evidence-PDF.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murdoch |first1=Josie |last2=Mayo |first2=Frankie |title=Greenhouse gas removals: call for evidence |publisher=Ember |date=20 June 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/UK-Greenhouse-gas-removals-call-for-evidence-PDF.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murdoch2025greenhouse, author = {Murdoch, Josie and Mayo, Frankie}, title = {{Greenhouse gas removals: call for evidence}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/07/UK-Greenhouse-gas-removals-call-for-evidence-PDF.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }