March 15, 2022
3 min read
Here at Applied Carbon, we’ve quietly been working hard to develop our unique system to sequester carbon from agricultural crop residue through biochar. Biochar is a powerful soil amendment technology with the potential to generate gigaton-scale carbon removals. Third party testing of our biochar by Texas A&M Agrilife Extension indicates that it can sequester carbon for 1000 years or more in commercial agricultural soils. It’s also a powerful soil amendment that can reduce consumption of chemical amendments like agricultural lime, and improve soil nutrient and moisture retention.
The key to kickstarting global adoption of biochar in commercial agriculture is cost reduction. A ton of biochar on the open market still costs over $400 delivered, putting it out of reach for many commercial row crop farmers. With our in-field pyrolysis technology, we can utilize agricultural waste feedstocks generated on the farm, dramatically reducing the cost of biochar production. Furthermore, by monetizing the carbon removals that are generated when the biochar is applied to the soil, we can change the economics of soil carbon sequestration. To that end, we’re thrilled to announce that our project has been selected by one of the world’s largest and most forward-thinking technology companies, Microsoft, as part of its carbon removal portfolio.
Morgan Williams, PhD, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Applied Carbon, said: “Entering this agreement with Microsoft is a testament to the breakthrough we’ve made in creating a high spec of biochar with long duration carbon sequestration. This relationship will allow us to continue improving upon our mobile production system to achieve meaningful scale and accelerate large scale carbon removal.”
In 2020, Microsoft set a goal to be carbon negative by 2030, and by 2050, to remove from the atmosphere the equivalent of all its emissions since the company was founded in 1975. To be among Microsoft’s portfolio of carbon removal strategies is a massive step forward for our company.
We’re looking forward to continuing and growing this partnership in the future!
