Capturing CO2 with Lithos Carbon’s Collaboration with Microsoft
Lithos Carbon is making waves in the carbon removal industry, having secured a fresh three-year deal with one of the biggest names in global tech: Microsoft. This renewed partnership signifies Microsoft’s commitment to tackling climate change head-on, as they aim to become carbon negative by 2030. But what makes this collaboration so special?
Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is the magic ingredient in this partnership, and Lithos Carbon’s innovative use of volcanic basalt rock dust on farmland promises to revolutionise the way carbon is captured from the atmosphere. This method isn’t just a theoretical approach—it’s a practical, data-backed solution that’s already being implemented at scale. With Microsoft as a returning customer, Lithos Carbon is set to permanently remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.
The Science Behind Enhanced Rock Weathering
At the heart of Lithos Carbon’s technology lies Enhanced Rock Weathering, a process that speeds up the natural weathering of rocks, which usually takes millennia, into something that can be done within a few seasons. By spreading ultra-fine volcanic basalt rock dust onto croplands, CO₂ in the air reacts with the minerals in the dust and is eventually locked away as bicarbonate—a compound that remains stable for thousands of years.
The science might sound complicated, but the result is simple: permanent, measurable, and scalable carbon removal. In fact, the natural process of rock weathering already draws down around 1.1 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year. By enhancing this process, Lithos Carbon is accelerating carbon capture and ensuring that the CO₂ is locked away for millennia.
ERW’s scalability is one of its most promising features. Lithos Carbon has spread hundreds of thousands of tonnes of basalt rock dust across North American farmland, collaborating with over 100 farmers across nine states. By August 2024, Lithos Carbon had already deployed this innovative technology across 3,000 acres of commercial farmland, and they’re just getting started.
Microsoft’s Role in Carbon Removal
Microsoft has long been a leader in sustainability, with ambitious goals to become carbon negative by 2030. This partnership with Lithos Carbon represents a significant step in Microsoft’s broader carbon removal strategy. Their involvement in Lithos Carbon’s ERW project is more than just a financial investment—it’s a commitment to scaling innovative, data-driven solutions that can make a tangible difference in the fight against climate change.
Brian Marrs, a representative from Microsoft, praised Lithos Carbon’s dedication to improving Enhanced Rock Weathering systems, particularly in terms of measurement accuracy. “Supporting innovative solutions is central to Microsoft’s carbon removal strategy,” said Marrs. “Lithos Carbon’s dedication towards continued improvements in rigorously quantified Enhanced Rock Weathering systems aligns with our pursuit of high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects, and we look forward to further advancements.”
Microsoft’s partnership with Lithos Carbon supports a broader vision of scaling the carbon removal market. By using precise, verifiable data to track the effectiveness of ERW, Microsoft is helping to set new standards for transparency and accuracy in carbon removal.
A Data-Driven Approach to Carbon Removal
Data is at the core of Lithos Carbon’s mission. Their agreement with Microsoft focuses on delivering empirically quantified carbon removal. What does that mean in practice? It means that Lithos Carbon isn’t just claiming they’re removing carbon—they’re proving it.
The partnership includes a groundbreaking research project in a subtropical environment, where high-resolution measurement validation will generate large-scale datasets. This data will be made publicly available, ensuring transparency and accountability. Lithos Carbon is also working with researchers from the Yale Centre for Natural Carbon Capture to cross-validate their findings. By doing so, they’re ensuring that the results are accurate and scientifically robust.
The research field being deployed for Microsoft is a first-of-its-kind in ERW, combining multiple methods of CO₂ removal measurement. By directly comparing these methods, Lithos Carbon aims to improve the rigour of carbon removal accounting, setting new standards for the industry.
Benefits Beyond Carbon Removal
Enhanced Rock Weathering isn’t just about removing carbon from the atmosphere—it’s also about benefiting agriculture. By deploying basalt rock dust on farmland, Lithos Carbon is helping to improve crop yields, protect soil, and enhance overall soil health. These cascading benefits are an added bonus for farmers, many of whom are already facing the challenges of climate change head-on.
Lithos Carbon’s CEO, Mary Yap, highlights the dual benefits of this approach: “Our mission is to work alongside farmers to transform cropland into carbon capture centres while improving crop yields and enriching agricultural land. This agreement with Microsoft represents a significant step towards scaling outcomes-based carbon removal while responsibly stewarding our natural resources.”
Yap’s vision extends beyond carbon removal; it’s about creating a win-win scenario for both the environment and the agricultural community. By transforming farmland into carbon sinks, Lithos Carbon is not only fighting climate change but also contributing to the long-term sustainability of farming.
Scaling Carbon Removal for a Sustainable Future
As the world races to meet urgent climate goals, scalable carbon removal solutions are more important than ever. Enhanced Rock Weathering, as championed by Lithos Carbon, represents one of the most promising pathways to large-scale, permanent carbon capture. Its potential for wide-scale agricultural adoption, cost-efficiency, and permanence makes it a leading solution in the fight against climate change.
Lithos Carbon’s collaboration with Microsoft marks a major milestone in their journey to remove a billion tonnes of atmospheric CO₂ over the next decade. With data-driven research, robust measurement techniques, and a commitment to transparency, Lithos Carbon is setting new standards for the carbon removal industry.
And while Lithos Carbon’s primary focus is on carbon removal, the added benefits to agriculture mean that this technology has the potential to create a more sustainable future in multiple ways. As the world looks for solutions to the climate crisis, Lithos Carbon’s approach offers a glimmer of hope.
