The Rise of Carbon Removal: Google and Terradot’s Groundbreaking Deal
In an effort to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, big corporations like Google and H&M Group have invested in a revolutionary strategy called Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). This innovative approach involves using rocks to trap carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and it has gained significant attention due to its potential to slow down climate change. In this article, we’ll delve into the details of this groundbreaking deal between Google and Terradot, and explore the possibilities and challenges associated with ERW.
The Deal: A $27 Million Investment in Carbon Removal
Terradot, a startup backed by Sheryl Sandberg’s investment firm, has secured a $27 million deal from Google, H&M Group, and Salesforce to remove 90,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This massive investment is part of a larger agreement brokered by Frontier, a carbon removal initiative led by Stripe, Google, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability.
Google has also announced its own deal with Terradot to purchase an additional 200,000 tons of carbon removal, although the exact cost remains undisclosed. If we assume the same price as the Frontier deal – approximately $300 per ton of CO2 captured – this would translate to a staggering $60 million investment.
The Science Behind Enhanced Rock Weathering
Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is a relatively low-tech approach to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process mimics natural weathering, which occurs when rainfall breaks down rocks, releasing calcium and magnesium ions that react with CO2 in water to form bicarbonate. Terradot’s ERW strategy accelerates this natural process by crushing up rocks and spreading them out over a large area, increasing the surface area of exposed rock that reacts with CO2.
The Potential Benefits of ERW
While there are still concerns about the costs, safety, and potential delays associated with carbon removal technologies, experts like Oliver Jagoutz, a professor of geology at MIT, believe that ERW has significant potential. "It’s a big deal," he says. "I think it should go a little out of the academic world into the industrial world."
Terradot’s approach has several benefits:
- Scalability: Terradot can use existing quarries and agricultural land, reducing the need for new infrastructure.
- Cost-effectiveness: ERW is considered a low-cost method compared to other carbon removal technologies.
- Sustainability: The process uses naturally occurring rocks and doesn’t require any chemicals or energy-intensive processes.
The Challenges Ahead
While ERW has shown promising results in laboratory settings, several challenges need to be addressed before this technology can be scaled up:
- Measurement tools: Developing accurate measurement tools to assess the amount of CO2 captured is a significant challenge.
- Fertilizer limitations: Fertilizers used in agricultural fields can potentially limit the effectiveness of ERW.
- Scalability: Scaling up ERW while maintaining its cost-effectiveness and sustainability will require innovative solutions.
Google’s Commitment to Carbon Removal
Google has taken significant steps towards reducing its carbon footprint by investing in renewable energy sources and developing advanced nuclear reactors. However, even with these efforts, the company acknowledges that it still generates a substantial amount of CO2 emissions from its data centers.
Terradot’s ERW technology is part of Google’s broader strategy to mitigate its legacy pollution while transitioning to clean energy sources. "It’s very clear that this is not a substitute for emissions reductions at all… we need both of these tools," says Kanoff, Terradot’s CEO.
Conclusion
The partnership between Google and Terradot marks an exciting development in the field of carbon removal technologies. While challenges remain, ERW has shown promise as a scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable approach to removing CO2 from the atmosphere. As corporations continue to invest in innovative solutions like ERW, we may see significant progress towards mitigating climate change.
Sources
- Google’s future data centers will be built next to solar and wind farms
- Google inks nuclear deal for next-generation reactors
- Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are already making heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and other climate disasters more dangerous. And Google’s carbon footprint has grown as it builds out energy-hungry AI data centers.