Microsoft has signed an agreement with U.S.-based company Liferaft for 1 million biochar carbon removal units to be delivered over a 10-year period. This agreement, facilitated by carbon removal marketplace Supercritical, marks the biggest U.S. biochar deal to date.
Supercritical’s guidance during the early project design stages helped Liferaft ensure the needed operational scale and robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols are in alignment with Microsoft’s rigorous standards.
The carbon removal units (CRU) will be generated through Liferaft’s large-scale biochar production facilities in Iowa and Illinois. In these states, the company sources agricultural and municipal biomass, processing it in on-site pyrolyzers, where it gets heated in an oxygen-free environment to create durable biochar.
The biochar product will then get combined with compost to create a biochar-compost mix for approved end uses, such as agricultural applications. Once applied to soils, biochar can help improve soil health and boost crop yields while also durably sequestering CO2 for hundreds of years.
To track project results under this agreement, Liferaft will use MRV systems to confirm that the biochar is applied only in approved end uses that ensure long-term carbon storage. The project will be registered on an ICROA-endorsed registry, with CRUs issued after independent third-party verification.
Beyond the expected climate and soil benefits, this project will also work on delivering positive economic and social results. To that end, Liferaft has worked with a range of local stakeholders to understand and address local needs, shaping project elements around the received feedback and making conscious decisions around the feedstocks used, locations selected, and community engagement routes.
Phillip Goodman, Director, Carbon Removal at Microsoft, commented, “At Microsoft, we’re pleased about the Liferaft project’s potential to pair high-quality, durable carbon removal with meaningful local benefits.”
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“Liferaft has strong plans for putting locally available biomass waste to productive use, generating local jobs, and supporting farmers and land managers. This demonstrates how carbon removal can strengthen agricultural communities, improve land outcomes, and deliver durable climate impact,” he added.
Liferaft CEO William Cowell de Gruchy expressed gratitude to the people and leaders of West Liberty, Iowa, and Muscatine County, Iowa, as well as to Microsoft and Supercritical, adding “We truly feel that all partners are aligned in our mission here, and that the project will make the planet and the community a better place.”
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