The alue of Bioenergy with CO2 Capture and Storage in an Electrified UK Heat Sector

The electrification of heat in the UK offers an alternative to a heating system dominated by natural gas, but poses significant challenges for the current energy supply, both in terms of meeting peak heat demand, and in decommissioning existing infrastructure. The UK's recent adoption of a net zero target by 2050 signals an increase in ambition in heat decarbonisation targets. On the other hand, negative emissions from the power sector, in the form of bioelectricity with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), could provide both low-carbon firm power and CO2 removal, to assist in this transition. Our study explores the role of CO2 removal in least cost electrification pathways to net zero, using a spatially explicit hourly unit operation and capacity expansion optimisation model of the UK heat and power sectors. We model the full biomass and CCS value chains to account for potential geo-physical, sustainability and financial constraints to BECCS deployment at the regional level. Our contribution introduces the methodology to derive the biomass supply curve and CO2 storage capacity and injectivity cost curves for the UK.