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- Microsoft has signed new agreements with Undo and Eion, committing to over 23,000 tonnes of carbon removal using enhanced rock weathering (ERW).
- The new deal with Undo will scale ERW projects in the UK and Canada, capturing 15,000 tonnes of CO2, while Eion will capture 8,000 tonnes in the U.S.
- Frontier Climate also announced a river de-acidification deal with CarbonRun to remove 55,442 tonnes of CO2 using river liming.
Undo’s Growing Partnership with Microsoft
Microsoft is scaling up its carbon capture efforts by signing a follow-on agreement with UK-based startup Undo to remove 15,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere through enhanced rock weathering (ERW). The agreement builds on a previous deal to remove 5,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2022.
Undo CEO and Founder Jim Mann: “This agreement with Microsoft is a clear signal to the market that enhanced rock weathering has the potential to deliver scalable carbon removal.”
ERW accelerates the natural process of silicate rock weathering by spreading crushed rock on agricultural land, increasing its contact with CO2 in rainwater. The CO2 reacts with the rock, locking it up as bicarbonate, which can eventually sequester into the ocean.
The new deal will see Undo spread 65,000 tonnes of crushed rock across the UK and Canada, including 40,000 tonnes of basalt in the UK and 25,000 tonnes of wollastonite in Canada. Undo’s field trials and monitoring sites will include collaborations with the University of Guelph in Ontario and Newcastle University in the UK.
Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy Markets at Microsoft: “With this follow-on deal, we look forward to working with the Undo team who will pioneer further deep science to deliver crucial ERW process data.”
Eion’s Carbon Capture Agreement
Microsoft also signed a deal with Eion, a carbon removal startup using ERW technology similar to Undo’s. Eion will deliver 8,000 tonnes of CO2 removal over the next five years through olivine deployment on farmlands in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. The crushed rock captures CO2 and releases minerals that benefit the soil.
Anastasia Pavlovic, CEO of Eion: “We’re excited to work with Microsoft to continue demonstrating the true potential of the category and add to ERW’s rapidly growing track record.”
Frontier Climate’s River Liming Deal with CarbonRun
In a separate agreement, Frontier Climate—a consortium of technology companies including Alphabet, Meta, and Salesforce—signed a $25 million offtake agreement with CarbonRun to remove 55,442 tonnes of CO2 using river liming.
The river liming method adds crushed limestone to acidified rivers, repairing damage caused by acid rain and removing CO2 from the air. The initial deployment will take place in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Related Article: Google Joins Microsoft in Pioneering Carbon Removal Deals in Brazil
Luke Connell, Co-founder and CEO of CarbonRun: “Beyond removing tons of CO₂, this offtake will enable us to do the research on river liming’s potential in different kinds of rivers.”
Stripe has also granted an additional $1 million in R&D funding for CarbonRun to better understand the impact of river liming on neutral pH rivers.