Wedoany.com Report-Apr. 21,CO280 Solutions, Inc., a Vancouver-based company specializing in large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) for the pulp and paper industry, has signed a significant offtake agreement with Microsoft. The deal involves capturing and permanently storing biogenic carbon emissions from a U.S. pulp and paper mill, with Microsoft purchasing 3.685 million tons of CDR over 12 years. This marks one of the largest engineered CDR purchases to date.

The agreement highlights Microsoft’s support for CO280’s method of retrofitting pulp and paper mills to capture biogenic CO2 from boiler stack emissions for geological storage. The capture technology is provided by CO280’s partner, SLB Capturi. CO280 is advancing over 10 projects, with five prioritized to deliver CDR by 2030.

Jonathan Rhone, co-founder and CEO of CO280, stated: “The agreement with Microsoft is a significant milestone for CO280 and the CDR market. CO280 is committed to delivering the highest quality, permanent carbon dioxide removal while supporting the economic and environmental health of the communities we serve. We’re incredibly grateful to Microsoft for their collaboration, leadership, and commitment to CDR excellence.”

Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is pleased to announce this deal with the team at CO280, which has proven how to combine innovative engineering with strong commercial development towards creating affordable and scalable carbon removal solutions. The CO280 strategy of adding carbon removal to existing paper mills is an efficient way to quickly scale carbon removal and bolster investment and jobs into timberland communities across the United States.”

CO280’s approach utilizes the U.S. pulp and paper industry’s infrastructure for efficient CDR scaling. U.S. mills emit 88 million tonnes of biogenic CO2 annually, offering substantial potential for carbon capture. Retrofitting mills leverages existing biomass supply chains, reducing costs and complexity. CO280 standardizes project designs and financing to accelerate deployment.

The strategy emphasizes sustainable biomass sourcing, with 97% of wood used in U.S. mills certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and 90% by both SFI and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Many mills use residual biomass and recycled content, and CO280’s projects adhere to leading voluntary carbon market sustainability standards. Energy efficiency is enhanced by using waste heat or biomass to power capture plants, minimizing environmental impact.

Most U.S. pulp and paper mills are within 100 miles of geologic storage sites, supported by a growing network of CO2 transportation and storage providers. The agreement with Microsoft will drive economic growth in mill communities, creating jobs and fostering sustainable development in the forest products industry.