The deployment of BECCS has been repeatedly delayed, even though it remains a key part of the government’s plans to decarbonise the UK. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) and DESNZ both see BECCS as essential to the UK achieving its decarbonisation goals from Carbon Budget 6 (2033–37) onwards. Government initially planned for the first BECCS plant in the UK to begin operations by 2030. However, this date will not be achieved and government has yet to settle on a new target date. There are no BECCS projects in the first phase of the government’s Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) programme and no clarity over when or if it will be included in later stages. Currently, smaller scale biomass power generators which primarily use waste wood from the UK are excluded from the CCUS programme. It is not clear if these plants will be helped to transition to BECCS. The most recent advice published by the CCC confirms that BECCS will still be needed to achieve net zero by 2050, but only half the amount of BECCS capacity compared to previous forecasts. recommendation DESNZ should map a critical path showing when BECCS needs to be operational for the UK to achieve its decarbonisation goals and take concrete action to meet it. If BECCS is no longer considered to be viable, DESNZ should put in place robust contingency plans setting out how it will achieve the net carbon removals it requires and what the future of biomass will be.