Deal struck between Frontier and Wild Assets for 120,000 tonnes of authenticated carbon removal certificates
In a significant stride for carbon removal technologies, Frontier has partnered with a major railroad to develop a rail-based logistics model for large-scale carbon storage projects. This innovative approach is designed to enhance flexibility and accelerate deployment timelines for these projects.
The partnership underscores Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) as a scalable, high-integrity technology for achieving long-term climate goals. BECCS, which captures CO₂ biogenically sourced from biomass and stores it underground, is increasingly recognised for its unique carbon-negative potential.
The demand for verified, durable carbon removal solutions is growing in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), and this agreement marks a significant advancement. The retired Carbon Removal Certificates (CORCs) will be handled through the Puro Registry, ensuring compliance with the rigorous Puro Standard. Matan Rudis, Partner at Wild Assets, expressed confidence in Frontier's Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) projects due to their thoughtful engineering, elegant design, commitment to Puro.earth's standards, and strategic role in the energy value chain.
The future potential of BECCS is significant, especially in climate strategies aligned with achieving net-zero and the Paris Agreement targets. It is considered a critical technology within the portfolio of carbon dioxide removal solutions necessary for large-scale climate mitigation. The European Union is evaluating BECCS under frameworks like the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF) and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), focusing on overcoming regulatory, technical, and financial barriers to deploy BECCS at scale by 2040 and beyond.
Carbon capture capacity, including BECCS, is expected to grow rapidly globally, with projections estimating a quadrupling of carbon capture capacity by 2030. This growth will expand CCS’s role in removing carbon from various energy and industrial sectors, enhancing BECCS’s integration into broader climate action efforts.
Technological advancements in carbon capture materials, hardware modularization, and intelligent control systems are also improving BECCS’s feasibility and cost-effectiveness, which are critical for scaling it up. However, challenges persist in terms of energy consumption, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks that will require continued innovation and policy support.
In summary, BECCS is currently moving from pilot to early commercial stages, showing concrete progress in carbon-negative energy production. Its large-scale potential is tightly linked to overcoming deployment challenges and is supported by expanding policy incentives, technological improvements, and growing climate commitments worldwide. The agreement between Frontier and the railroad is a notable development for the carbon removal sector and the VCM, underscoring the industry's commitment to sustainable carbon removal solutions.
References:
[1] IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (2018) [2] European Commission, Carbon Removals Certification Framework (2020) [3] International Energy Agency, Net Zero by 2050 (2021) [4] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement (2015) [5] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration: A Vision for the Strategic Growth of Carbon Dioxide Removal in the United States (2020)
- The partnership between Frontier and the major railroad signifies an increased emphasis on science and technology, particularly in the field of environmental-science, as they work together to develop a rail-based logistics model for carbon capture projects.
- The growing demand for carbon removal solutions in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) has led to increased recognition of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) as a scalable and high-integrity technology for tackling climate-change.
- The agreement marks a significant advancement in the carbon removal sector, as Frontier's Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) projects, which are strategic in the energy value chain, are financed through the retirement of Carbon Removal Certificates (CORCs) and handled through the Puro Registry.
- The European Union's focus on overcoming regulatory, technical, and financial barriers for BECCS deployment is a reflection of the industry's commitment to renewable-energy sources and the Paris Agreement targets, with the goal of scaling up BECCS by 2040 and beyond.
