Biotechnology-Driven Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS): A Panoramic Analysis from Lab to Commercial Application

This article focuses on the innovative applications of biotechnology in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), covering key technical pathways such as biochar, biofuels, biohydrogen, and bioplastics, as well as the role of blockchain-based carbon credits and techno-economic evaluation frameworks in promoting commercialization. Biotechnology-driven CCUS, with advantages like low energy consumption and environmental friendliness, has become an important pillar for achieving net-zero emissions. This article will analyze it from dimensions including background, technology, mechanism, and commercialization.

In global climate governance, CCUS is a key pillar for net-zero emissions. With the advancement of international climate summits, countries are paying more attention to CCUS, but traditional physicochemical methods face problems such as high energy consumption, high cost, and difficulty in scaling up. Against this backdrop, biotechnology brings revolutionary innovation opportunities for CCUS.

Biotechnology-driven CCUS uses microorganisms, plants, algae, and biochemical processes to capture, convert, and store carbon. Compared with traditional methods, it has advantages such as low energy consumption, environmental friendliness, and the ability to produce high-value by-products. Its evaluation dimensions include Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Technology Readiness Level (TRL), Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA), and Global Benchmark Analysis (GBA), providing a scientific basis for decision-making.

1. Biochar: Produced via anaerobic pyrolysis of biomass, its stable carbon structure can remain in soil for hundreds of years while improving soil quality, and it has the conditions for large-scale commercialization;
2. Biofuels: Evolving from the first generation (grain-based) to the third generation (algae-based), advanced biofuels (e.g., Sustainable Aviation Fuel, SAF) are key to decarbonizing the aviation sector;
3. Biohydrogen: Produced through microbial fermentation or gasification, with a low carbon footprint, suitable for sectors that are difficult to electrify;
4. Bioplastics: Converting renewable biomass into biodegradable materials (such as PLA, PHA), reducing carbon emissions from the plastic industry;
5. MOFs: Porous materials with high specific surface area that can efficiently adsorb CO₂; combining them with biological conversion enhances system efficiency.

Blockchain technology provides a transparent and traceable mechanism for the carbon credit market, solving problems like double counting and information opacity in traditional markets. In bio-CCUS projects, blockchain can enable project traceability, transparent data (tamper-proof MRV), automated transactions via smart contracts, and global mutual recognition, allowing small-scale projects to participate in global carbon trading.

Commercialization depends on multiple factors: Techno-economic analysis shows that the cost of some technologies is close to traditional solutions; policy support (such as the EU's CBAM, US IRA's clean fuel tax credits) improves economic viability; corporate ESG commitments and supply chain decarbonization pressures create market demand, providing an entry point for bio-CCUS commercialization.

Challenges include: Scaling-up difficulties (whether lab technologies can be stable at the industrial level), raw material competition (biomass resource allocation), lack of standards (carbon credit accounting, product certification), and technology integration (building industrial chains across all links). In the future, cross-disciplinary innovations such as synthetic biology, AI, and materials science will drive breakthroughs, such as gene-edited high-efficiency microorganisms and machine learning-optimized processes.

Bio-CCUS is an innovative attempt to address climate challenges using natural wisdom, forming diverse technology combinations and business models. Recommendations: Policymakers need to provide systematic support in R&D, market, and standards; enterprises should layout early to seize industrial opportunities; researchers need cross-disciplinary collaboration to break through bottlenecks. Bio-CCUS will play an important role in carbon neutrality, and integrating engineering technology with an understanding of natural systems is key.