Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies 2026

Comparison of product/technology specifications by CDR pathway TABLE 3 DAC BECCS Biochar ERW Net carbon efficiency955–80% 85–100% 90–100% 85–95% High energy and capital expenditure (capex) requirements drive the carbon efficiency lower than for other pathways.While process is typically carbon-efficient, main emissions are associated with biomass transport and final storage location.High efficiency due to harnessing of a natural process, and low energy required. Main emissions associated with the treatment and transport of feedstock.High efficiency due to harnessing of a natural process, and low energy and capex required. Main emissions associated with the crushing and transport of feedstock. Durability of carbon storage StorageHigh High Medium Medium Secure: CO2 typically stored in geological reservoirs.Secure: CO2 typically stored in geological formations.Partially secure: carbon in biochar is chemically stable, but when applied to soil, its storage security depends on conditions such as acidity, microbial activity and moisture levels.Partially secure: CO2 reacts with silicate rocks to form carbonates. Risks Minimal: MRV ensures containment, but fuels derived from CO2 are not permanent.Minimal: rare leakage risk with proper MRV and site selection.Moderate: small CO2/ methane release in soils under certain conditions.Moderate: CO2 reacts with silicate minerals to form stable bicarbonates or carbonates; however, environmental conditions (e.g. rainfall, temperature, soil chemistry) influence reaction rates and the proportion of applied material that ultimately converts, affecting both removal efficiency and verification timelines. Energy use Significant Low Low Medium DAC typically requires high amounts of thermal energy and electricity. Most of this demand comes from the capture system, during the adsorption and desorption phases.BECCS ideally will always be net positive in energy because it is ultimately an energy supply. In early stages, it could be that projects have higher energy demand than generation.Biomass feedstock can heavily influence energy use. Energy generation is a potential, but this is not always the case.Most of the energy is required in the comminution stage. The smaller the grain size, the more energy is required. Land use Low Significant Significant Significant Negligible land requirements for operations, although energy will typically increase the land requirements.Biomass feedstock type affects overall energy demand. While some processes can produce surplus energy, this outcome depends on feedstock properties and system design and does not occur universally.Biochar also requires significant land for feedstocks. Biochar production can be decentralized or centralized, leading to different land uses.ERW has meaningful land requirements, both in terms of sourcing the feedstock and for distribution of the minerals.In contrast, open systems7 operate across natural environments, where carbon removal processes interact with soil, water and atmospheric conditions. Pathways such as ERW rely on geochemical reactions that are more difficult to measure directly, requiring modelling and environmental sampling to estimate removal volumes. This makes validation more complex and introduces greater uncertainty compared to closed systems – such as those used by DAC and certain biochar applications – where carbon flows occur within controlled industrial facilities and can be directly monitored and verified.Other factors influencing MRV readiness include the durability of carbon storage (for example, DAC’s geological storage vs. biochar’s dependency on soil conditions), the availability of robust MRV standards (for example, Puro.earth, Isometric8) and the cost and feasibility of implementing monitoring systems. For example, Puro.earth validated Climeworks’ methodology – a DAC company – in 2024. Yet buyers had already been purchasing DAC credits before this certification, showing that investment can occur even without fully established MRV frameworks. Buyers had already been purchasing DAC credits before certification, showing that investment can occur even without fully established MRV frameworks. Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies: Market Overview and Offtake 11