Beccus (Biobased Energy, Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage): the development of a new, unique technology

The project

RWE's ambition is to achieve negative emissions at the Eemshaven and Amer power plants in the coming years, provided that it is technically and economically feasible to do so. If both power plants implement BECCUS (Bio-Energy Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage) projects, they can together remove up to 11-14 Mt of CO₂ from the atmosphere each year. RWE’s BECCUS projects can make a crucial contribution to a climate-neutral electricity system in the Netherlands through sustainable electricity generation and carbon removal.

Along with the large-scale expansion of wind and solar energy, additional flexible and controllable generation capacity is needed on days when insufficient renewable energy is available. That is where RWE’s power plants have an important role to play.

With the BECCUS project we produce electricity with sustainable biomass This is residual wood from production forests and waste from industrial sawmills, e.g. sawdust. The CO₂ released in the process of producing electricity will be captured and transported by pipeline or ship for storage deep beneath the seabed in the North Sea in depleted gas fields or off the coast of Norway where work on such projects is already underway. Capturing the atmospheric CO₂ temporarily locked in biomass and permanently storing it in geological formations generates 'negative' CO₂ emissions, key to attaining net zero targets. In the future, we expect CO₂ from biomass to become a resource that can be used to produce green biofuels and bioplastics, for example.

In the foreground, tall grass in a green field. In the background are wind turbines and a power plant emitting smoke.

Why this project?

Creating a sustainable energy system is at the heart of RWE’s business strategy, which is why RWE aims to reduce its emissions in line with the 1.5-degree reduction pathway, as agreed in the Paris Agreement. In addition, RWE intends to phase out coal around 2030 and become climate-neutral around 2040. These ambitions align with the climate targets of the Dutch government, which aims to reduce emissions by 55-60% by 2030 and by 95% by 2050. Both the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have concluded that these goals cannot be achieved without removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Our contribution

The aim of the BECCUS project is to capture and store CO₂ of sustainable, biogenic origin at RWE’s Amer and Eemshaven power plants. This will result in 11-14 megatons of negative CO₂ emissions. This equals approximately 7-9% of the Netherlands’ annual CO₂ emissions. According to PBL, the Dutch government still faces a gap of between 12 and 36 megatons of CO₂ in meeting its climate objectives. RWE’s contribution can play an important role in helping to close that gap.

A cargo ship docked beside a river, with sand piled on the deck and cranes in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Driven by RWE’s mission ‘Our energy for a sustainable life’ and aligned with our goal of being climate-neutral by 2040, RWE also aims to accelerate the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere in the Netherlands. Our ambition is for both the Amer and Eemshaven power plants to become links in a fully closed CO₂ cycle over the long term.

Eemshaven power plant at a glance

00 MWe (megawatt electrical)

Installed capacity

Approximately 00 million tons per annum

CO2-negative emissions

Current licence 00 %

biomass

Amer power plant at a glance

00 MWe (megawatt electrical)

Installed capacity

Approximately 00 million tons per annum

CO2-negative emissions

00 %

biomass in 2025

CO₂-neutral electricity production with BECCUS

Since the beginning of 2025, the Amer power plant has been operating on 100% biomass (organic residues), while the Eemshaven power plant operates on approximately 25% biomass. This means that a corresponding share of electricity generation is CO₂-neutral. We use sustainable biomass to generate renewable electricity.

The combustion of biomass does not result in net additional CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere because the amount of CO₂ absorbed during growth is equal to the amount released during combustion. This is known as CO₂ neutrality.

A pile of wood pellets with a green leaf, placed near a piece of wood on a textured surface.

By implementing BECCUS and capturing the CO₂ released during electricity production, the CO₂ absorbed during biomass growth is removed from the atmosphere and permanently stored beneath the North Sea instead of being re-emitted. Because CO₂ is net removed from the atmosphere, this is referred to as negative emissions.

In the future, an increasing share of the captured CO₂ may also be used as a feedstock for biofuels (CO₂ neutral) and bioplastics. However, these markets are not yet expected to exist at scale when the project starts.

The biomass used by RWE at the Amer and Eemshaven power plants is sustainable. This is an important condition for RWE, now and in the future. RWE only uses biomass that meets strict legal and sustainability requirements. Compliance is verified and certified by independent parties and is overseen by the Dutch authorities. We do this in accordance with applicable legislation and regulations, including EUTR, RED III and, from 30 December 2026 onwards, the EUDR.

More information about sustainable biomass can be found here (in Dutch).
The possibilities for transporting the captured CO₂ to the storage location are being investigated: it can be done via a pipeline or by ship. Talks have been held with parties regarding storing the CO₂ in the North Sea off the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway or Denmark. CO₂ is already being stored in a number of places following strict environmental and safety requirements.
RWE, together with its national and international suppliers, wants to build a value chain to ensure the optimum utilisation of both biomass and biogenic CO₂, resulting in a neutral – and even negative – CO₂ balance. In the future, the Netherlands and Europe can play an important role in supplying green carbon to replace fossil CO₂ in numerous products (fuels, plastics and building materials). With this in mind, RWE is building new activities and business models along with a wide range of companies.

Adriaan van der Maarel

Public Affairs

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The development of a new, unique technology

BECCUS (Biobased Energy, Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage)