Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is considered an important negative emissions (NEs) technology, but might involve substantial irrigation on biomass plantations. Potential water stress resulting from the additional withdrawals warrants evaluation against the avoided climate change impact. Here we quantitatively assess potential side effects of BECCS with respect to water stress by disentangling the associated drivers (irrigated biomass plantations, climate, land use patterns) using comprehensive global model simulations. By considering a widespread use of irrigated biomass plantations, global warming by the end of the 21st century could be limited to 1.5 °C compared to a climate change scenario with 3 °C. However, our results suggest that both the global area and population living under severe water stress in the BECCS scenario would double compared to today and even exceed the impact of climate change. Such side effects of achieving substantial NEs would come as an extra pressure in an already water-stressed world and could only be avoided if sustainable water management were implemented globally.

Thermo‐catalytic reforming (TCR®) is a promising conversion technology for the production of liquid bio‐fuels. The process is a proven opportunity to convert biological wastes and residues into hydrogen‐rich syngas, high‐quality oil, and char without volatiles. Bio‐oil produced from TCR® has a high carbon content, low water content, low oxygen content, and a high heating value; it is therefore directly applicable as feed in boilers or as blend in dual fuel engines. A feasible opportunity for using bio‐oil in automotive combustion engines is a further upgrade step to bio‐fuel by hydrogenation. During this hydrotreatment, heterogeneous atoms like sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen are removed or substituted with hydrogen. Fraunhofer UMSICHT already produces gasoline and diesel that comply with European fuel standards EN 228 and EN 590, using different catalysts like NiMo/Al2O3, CoMo/Al2O3, and Ru/C for hydrogenation at 643 K and a constant hydrogen pressure of 14 MPa. Various hydrocarbons and benzene derivatives are verified after hydrotreating. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.