Latest Developments UNDO, one of the world’s best-known developers of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies continues its partnership with Microsoft through another 15,000 tonnes of CO2 removed from the atmosphere. This new expansion was added to the current ongoing partnership and entails research funding of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a process which captures carbon by enhancing the natural chemical reactions that occur between rocks and atmospheric CO2. It is part of Microsoft’s continued efforts to become carbon negative by 2030 and further investment in climate solutions.
Scaling up the UNDO-Microsoft partnership
This year’s UNDO partnership with Microsoft began in 2023 with a contract for the removal of 5,000 tonnes of CO₂. That project included spreading 25,000 tonnes of basalt – a volcanic rock – across agricultural land in the UK. It marked Microsoft’s first venture into ERW technology.
This new agreement doubles the project scope and aims to apply 65 000 tonnes of crushed silicate rocks to agricultural land in the UK and Canada. Of that, 40 000 tonnes will be basalt in the UK, while 25 000 tonnes of the fast-weathering wollastonite will be applied in Canada. It will enable this increased activity to sequester 15 000 tonnes of CO₂, tripling the carbon captured by the initial phase of the collaboration.
What is Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW)?
ERW is an accelerated natural process of rock weathering, which can capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. In any ordinary situation, after millions of years, CO₂ in the air reacts with rainwater to form a weak acid that dissolves some kinds of rocks. This process traps carbon in the stable form of minerals and locks them for thousands of years.
To accelerate this natural process, fine powder of crushed silicate rocks like basalt or wollastonite is strewn over agricultural soil. Here, while rainwater dissolves the powder, it captures CO₂ and traps it through this process as bicarbonate, and the crushed rocks increase their surface area and therefore accelerate the process of weathering. This is a very effective tool for carbon removal much faster compared to other methods.
Benefits of Casting Crushed Rock on Farms
Aside from carbon capture, ERW also offers other environmental and agricultural advantages. On agricultural fields, the spread of crushed volcanic rocks such as basalt spreads the necessary nutrients – magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus – in the soil. These could further improve crop health, stabilize soil pH, reduce dependency on chemical fertilizers, and provide direct benefits to farmers. This support underscores the sustainability of agriculture while providing long-term health to the soil.
Economic benefits are seen in rural communities with the introduction of crushed rocks. The UNDO offers free amendments to the soil for farmers, saving the cost on fertilizers for farmers, hence offering employment, strengthening local food systems, and a step towards stimulating the economies in the rural settings that gives the farmer a win-win impact with their environment.
Carbon Removal Research and Development
The urgent need for carbon removal technologies that are scalable. In order to contain the worst consequences of climate change, by 2050, the world will have to annually remove from the atmosphere 10 billion tonnes of CO₂. ERW can deliver nearly 40% of this target, or about 4 billion tonnes of CO2 every year.
Under the agreement, Microsoft shall support further research into ERW processes, including measurement, reporting, and verification of carbon removal. UNDO shall set up field trials in both the UK and Canada for the purposes of providing data on the effectiveness of ERW in various climates and soil conditions. Both experiments shall be conducted with the supports of academic institutions such as the University of Guelph in Canada and Newcastle University in the UK.
It will enhance the ERW process while establishing best practices for widespread deployment. Improved MRV techniques will enable the quantification of actual carbon removal potential of ERW so that it becomes verifiable as effective in all its future projects.
Expansion in Canada
Canada is becoming an ever-stronger center for carbon removal technology. Over 70 firms have stepped up efforts in CO₂ removal. Attracted by the country’s ambition to have reached net-zero emissions by 2050 and with considerable political and financial support, the location is of interest to companies like UNDO to expand their activities.
UNDO has established a base in Southeast Ontario. The company is looking forward to developing the new partnerships further into Québec. Doing this, the company will provide crushed wollastonite rock to Canadian farmers at no cost to make them enjoy the ERW on both the environmental and the agricultural benefits.
By targeting the rural communities, UNDO hopes to work with the farmers directly while achieving all the national carbon reduction goals in Canada. That coincides entirely with the innovation visions and sustainability practices that Canada promised to adhere to during its fight against global climate change.
The Road to Global Scale for ERW
Large-scale ERW projects, such as the one UNDO and Microsoft are developing, are extremely important to proving this new carbon removal technique to be measurable and permanent. The partnership with Microsoft is an important step forward in scaling ERW technology and advancing science around it. HERE IN CANADA, UNDO is working closely with Canadian Wollastonite, a supplier of the fastest weathering rock feedstock, to accelerate data collection and optimize the carbon capture process.
This means showing how ERW is effective across the globe and thus opening wide avenues for the technology to be generally adopted with more data in the offing.
Investment in ERW positions Microsoft as a leader in carbon removal while accelerating its goal toward being carbon-negative by 2030.
Conclusion
The partnership deepened between UNDO and Microsoft is an important step into the area of carbon removal. This collaboration will capture 15 000 tonnes of CO₂ while bringing environmental and economic benefits to farmers and the local communities. Further research and development can make ERW a scalable solution for how to address climate change globally.
Source: UNDO