Microsoft Buys 1M Biochar Removal Units from Liferaft
Why this is here: The deal specifies biochar will be applied only to approved end uses, ensuring long-term carbon storage and aligning with Microsoft’s standards for carbon removal projects.
Microsoft and Liferaft finalized a deal for 1 million biochar carbon removal units over ten years. Supercritical facilitated the agreement, the largest U.S. biochar deal to date. Liferaft will produce the units at facilities in Iowa and Illinois, using agricultural and municipal biomass.
The company will convert biomass into biochar through pyrolysis, then combine it with compost for agricultural use. Biochar application aims to improve soil health, increase crop yields, and store CO2 for centuries. Liferaft will track results using monitoring, reporting, and verification systems.
The project will register on an ICROA-endorsed registry after third-party verification. Liferaft collaborated with local stakeholders to address community needs, influencing feedstock choices and project locations. Microsoft highlighted the project’s potential for durable carbon removal and local benefits.