Written question asked by Oliver Dowden (Conservative) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026. It was answered by Michael Shanks (Labour) on Friday, 22 May 2026 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Biofuels and Carbon Capture and Storage

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he accepts the finding in Nature Sustainability on 20 April 2026 that bioenergy with carbon capture and storage could (a) increase electricity costs by around 3.5 times and (b) take more than 150 years to create negative emissions.

Answer

We do not recognise these claims.

No final decisions around the deployment of large-scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage projects have been made, and any support would need to provide value for money for taxpayers.

Biomass, including woody biomass sourced from forests, if sourced sustainably, can be considered a low carbon resource. Government only supports the use of biomass in line with our sustainability criteria. To ensure that BECCS delivers genuine negative emissions, detailed biomass sustainability criteria will be developed for BECCS.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 249
Session: 2026-27
Subjects: Biofuels Carbon capture and storage
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Biofuels and Carbon Capture and Storage

Secondary information

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