• $80 million investment: Google, Stripe, and others purchase carbon credits to support emerging carbon capture technologies.
• Innovative solutions: CO280 uses oil industry tech at paper mills, while CREW deploys limestone-based capture at sewage plants.
• Scaling goals: Deals aim to reduce carbon removal costs to $100 per ton and deliver scalable, affordable solutions.

The News:

Google, Stripe, and other Frontier coalition members are investing $80 million in carbon credits to fund two firms deploying innovative carbon capture technologies at paper mills and sewage plants.

The Deals:

• CO280: Awarded $48 million to remove 224,500 metric tons of CO₂ (2028–2030) using oil field CCS technology at paper mill smokestacks.
• CREW: Secured $32.1 million to capture 71,878 tons of CO₂ using limestone filtration at municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Frontier coalition purchases carbon credits at prices far above the target—$214/ton for CO280 and $447/ton for CREW—to incentivize innovation and drive down costs.

Related Article: Brazil to Consult Indigenous Communities on Carbon Credits Sale

Why It Matters:

Tech-driven carbon capture remains at an early stage but could scale rapidly to remove billions of tons of CO₂ annually. Current methods remain costly, but Frontier’s strategy focuses on long-term affordability.

Hannah Bebbington, Frontier’s head of deployment, emphasized the significance:
“We are really excited about the possibility for large industrial players to integrate carbon removal technologies and start to deliver carbon removal cheaply and at scale.”

How It Works:

• CO280: Captures CO₂ at paper mills using proven oil field technology, targeting carbon released by the trees used to produce paper.
• CREW: Adds carbon-attracting limestone to sewage plant water, leveraging rocks’ natural ability to absorb CO₂.

This approach showcases how older industries can adopt modern solutions to cut emissions effectively.

Looking Forward:

Frontier’s investments reflect a broader effort by tech and finance sectors to accelerate climate tech innovation, even amid uncertain policy support. These early deals aim to pave the way for cost-effective, large-scale carbon removal that aligns with global decarbonization targets.

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