Life cycle and techno-economic assessment of carbon-negative technologies: a comparative study of BECCS, DAC, mineralization, enhanced weathering, and biochar

[Geoengineering News]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10098-026-03416-9

Authors: Naif Ghazi Altoom 

03 March 2026

Abstract

This study discusses meeting climate targets that require rapid emission cuts and durable carbon removal. Fragmented boundaries, functional units, data years, and uncertainty treatment make carbon-negative technology assessments hard to compare. This study harmonizes Ecoinvent v3.8, GREET, and peer-reviewed pilot disclosure datasets and standardize costs to 2024 USD and energy mixes for cross-technology comparability. An integrated life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis framework models bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air capture (DAC), mineralization, enhanced weathering, and biochar pathways, with cradle-to-sequestration or cradle-to-grave boundaries, per ton of CO2 removed. One-at-a-time sensitivity analysis and 10,000-iteration Monte Carlo quantify uncertainty. Net zero requires sustainable carbon removal and rapid mitigation. This study is the first to compare five carbon-negative technologies (BECCS, DAC, mineralization, enhanced weathering, and biochar) per ton of CO2 removed using unified boundaries and 2024-aligned datasets. Comparing technologies with quantified uncertainty allows decision-relevant ranking over method-bound results. Cost profiles: biochar: $140 ± 20/tCO2, BECCS: $150 ± 30, enhanced weathering: $190 ± 40, mineralization: $240 ± 60, and DAC: $640 ± 120. BECCS stresses land and water; DAC is energy-intensive but location-flexible; mineralization is permanent; enhanced weathering is promising but site-dependent; biochar provides soil co-benefits with near-term scalability. The uncertainty bands context ordering is robust. The benchmark suggests prioritizing biochar and BECCS where biomass and monitoring capacity exist, mineralization and enhanced weathering in suitable industrial or agricultural regions, and scaling DAC with cheap, clean heat and dedicated policy. Their recommendations guide portfolio design, carbon pricing, and MRV investment for fair deployment.

Source: Springer Nature Link