Perennial Biomass Crops for Greenhouse Gas Removal

Aberystwyth University

In PBC4GGR we are investigating the potential for plants like willow and miscanthus to support BECCS in the UK. We will demonstrate novel establishment techniques that maximise yield whilst minimising greenhouse gas emissions, and provide an up to date quantification of the scope for greenhouse gas removal. We will establish the conditions required for farmer uptake and wider societal acceptance, and investigate the costs, benefits and trade offs for biodiversity and ecosystem services. In conjunction with other GGR projects and a coordinating hub we will determine the appropriate scale of implementation of BECCS in the UK compared to other GGR approaches. The PBC4GGR project began in May 2021 and is led by Professor Iain Donnison at Aberystwyth University. The other partners are the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Rothamsted Research, the Countryside and Community Research Institute, and the University of Aberdeen. PBC4GGR is one of a group of five UKRI funded projects investigating different Greenhouse Gas Removal approaches. Other approaches being investigated are forestry, peat restoration, accelerated rock weathering, and biochar production. There is also a coordinating hub, which undertakes over-arching research applicable to all the GGR technologies and will integrate findings from the projects in order to provide a joined up picture of how greenhouse gas removal can contribute to the UK’s net zero carbon objectives.