Boomitra, a global soil carbon removal company and winner of the Earthshot Prize, has launched its first Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) project, venturing into new decarbonization territory.
Located in Botswana, the Oasis Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage Project will tackle woody bush encroachment, processing biomass from these invasive plant species for safe and durable underground storage.
Botswana and its surrounding region are seriously impacted by the issue of woody bush encroachment overtaking grassland sites, as this invasion increases the risk of fires and lowers the local biodiversity and livestock productivity.
The majority of regional landowners and ranchers either can’t afford to treat this problem or are reluctant to do so, as the commonplace solution is incineration or environmentally aggressive chemical treatments.
To address this challenge, Boomitra created a system that processes biomass from encroaching woody species into tightly sealed bales that then get buried underground in oxygen-free conditions, enabling a storage that grants 100+ year carbon permanence.
This approach doesn’t require infrastructure, can be deployed in remote areas, and is cost-efficient, presenting a highly scalable and affordable solution that could be applied across more regions in the Global South.
The quality and transparency of the project are aligned with BiCRS best practices, and the initiative has passed the preliminary assessment with Puro.Earth’s established market standard.
Project Oasis will employ traceable biomass accounting, as well as GHG flux monitoring that will rely on soil gas flux chambers to ensure integrity and keep an eye on and detect any potential re-emissions.
Relevant: Boomitra Secures The Largest-Ever Soil CDR Deal With ECP And Restoration Climate
As shared by Boomitra, in the first 10-year phase, the Oasis project will restore 10,000 hectares (~24,710 acres) of land, sequestering more than 200,000 tonnes of CO2 and creating job opportunities for the communities on the ground, while relying on local consultancy from Brahmans Botswana and Namibia Resource Consultants.
In the long run, Boomitra is confident that the BiCRS initiative has the potential to scale to over 1 million hectares (~2,471,053 acres) across the region.
Read more: Boomitra’s South America Grassland Restoration Project Achieves Verra Registration
