Global bioenergy with carbon capture and storage potential is largely constrained by sustainable irrigation

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is crucial in many stringent climate scenarios. Although irrigation can enhance BECCS potential, where to what extent it global potential are unknown when constrained by preventing additional water stress suppressing withdrawal of nonrenewable resources. With a spatially explicit representation bioenergy crop plantations cycle an internally consistent model framework, we identified the irrigable cropland on basis resources reserve. Irrigation such enhanced only 5–6% (<60–71% for unconstrained irrigation) above rain-fed (0.82–1.99 Gt C yr−1) end this century. Nonetheless, limited (166–298 km3 yr−1), especially from sources (16–20%), compared (1,392–3,929 yr−1 73–78%). Our findings highlight importance constraints potential. Capturing energy crops—bioenergy (BECCS)—requires grow crops. This study finds that although unlimited could increase 60–71% 2100, doing so sustainably would 5–6%.