- Microsoft will buy 3,685 million tons of carbon removal credit over 12 years
- Carbon will be caught from pulp and paper milling stations
- It is stored permanently in salt water
Microsoft has confirmed plans to buy 3,685 million tonnes of carbon removal credits from CO280 as part of an agreement that will last 12 years.
The project is expected to start in 2028 and will be located at the Gulf Coast Pulp and Paper Mills and cover emissions from CO280’s first Carbon Capture project.
Probably will be one of the largest constructed carbon removal purchases to date, both will help Microsoft become carbon negative by 2030 and continue its further journey in the following years.
Microsoft signs a 12-year agreement to remove carbon
Microsoft is already using a mixture of renewable energy and carbon removal credits to achieve its climate goals, but has changed much in recent years with an increase in demand for artificial intelligence built on the power and resource-hungry foundation for huge data centers.
The company has been honest about these challenges and noted that greenhouse gas emissions have increased. By 2023, Microsoft produced 17.2 million tonnes of 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gases, up from 16.5 million, 14.4 million and 12.3 million tonnes in the previous three years.
It is difficult to say whether the company is on its way to fulfilling its 2030 period considering the rapid progress of technology, but its long -term plans are to remove all historical emissions since its founding in 1975.
CO280’s strategy involves retrofitting pulp and paper factories with carbon capture systems based on amin-based capture technology that permanently stores carbon underground in salt water.
“The CO280 strategy of adding carbon removal to existing paper factories is an effective way to quickly scale carbon removal and strengthen investments and jobs in Timberland society throughout the US,” commented Microsoft Senior Director of Energy & Carbon Removal Brian Marrs.
More broadly, Microsoft has other sustainability plans to minimize its footprint globally, including the purchase of 1.5 million tonnes in credits via a afforestation project in India, 1.6 million tonnes in credits over 30 years in Panama and over seven million tonnes in credits over 25 years of New York-based chestnut.
