Microsoft is moving mountains to combat climate change by crushing rocks into smaller pieces spread over large areas to capture and store carbon dioxide.
According to a statement, the company signed agreements with Undo and Eion on Thursday, committing to over 23,000 tonnes of carbon removal using enhanced rock weathering.
Enhanced rock weathering, or ERW, is a process that speeds up natural rock weathering by spreading crushed rock over vast grasslands, increasing its contact with carbon dioxide in rainwater.
The process turns CO2 into bicarbonates, which can eventually sequester into the ocean without any environmental issues.
The tech giant’s 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 US.
Microsoft’s agreement with Undo builds on a previous deal to remove 5,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2022.
“This agreement with Microsoft is a clear signal to the market that enhanced rock weathering has the potential to deliver scalable carbon removal,” said Undo CEO and founder Jim Mann.
Undo’s field trials and monitoring sites will include collaborations with the University of Guelph in Ontario and Newcastle University in the UK.
“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,” said Brian Marrs, senior director of energy markets at Microsoft, in the statement.
The software behemoth also signed a deal with Eion, a carbon removal startup in Princeton, New Jersey, US.
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 US.
Olivine is a green mineral that reacts with CO2 in the ocean to form a harmless silt. This reaction might be the key to slowing down climate change, or reversing it altogether.
“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,” said Eion CEO Anastasia Pavlovic.
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