Microsoft seals one of the biggest-ever carbon removal contracts with biomass waste management company Vaulted Deep
Vaulted Deep, a carbon removal company spun out of Advantek in 2023, has entered into a significant partnership with tech giant Microsoft. This 12-year agreement, running through 2038, marks one of the largest carbon removal deals to date.
Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will purchase up to 4.9 million tonnes of CO₂ removal from Vaulted Deep. This partnership is part of Microsoft's ambitious goal to become carbon negative by 2030.
Vaulted Deep's carbon removal process is unique. Instead of incineration, landfill, or spreading on land, the company sequesters carbon-rich biomass and injects it deep underground for permanent storage. This method effectively removes carbon from the atmosphere, locks it away safely for over a thousand years (certified by the carbon registry Isometric), and addresses real-world waste management challenges.
The organic waste managed by Vaulted Deep includes biosolids, manure, agricultural waste, food waste, and paper sludge. By collecting and diverting these wastes, Vaulted Deep prevents methane production and the release of greenhouse gases. This approach not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also addresses environmental challenges, such as preventing contamination like PFAS from leaching into soils and waterways.
Julia Reichelstein, the co-founder and CEO of Vaulted Deep, emphasizes the scalability and low technology risk of their approach. Vaulted Deep's work delivers immediate climate benefits while stimulating local economies and addressing long-standing environmental challenges.
With this partnership, Microsoft sees Vaulted Deep’s solution as a low-technology-risk, scalable solution that delivers immediate climate benefits, helps stimulate local economies, and solves persistent environmental challenges.
Vaulted Deep is actively seeking new waste partners across various industries to tackle their hard-to-manage organic waste. The company partners with municipalities, industrial operators, and agricultural producers to manage their organic waste.
This new agreement brings Microsoft's carbon removal purchases to over 30 million tonnes, making it the second-largest purchaser, behind the Frontier buyers group with 1.4 million tonnes. Microsoft supports Vaulted Deep’s solution as part of its broader effort to accelerate durable, high-integrity carbon removal.
The agreement between Microsoft and Vaulted Deep represents a significant addition to Microsoft's carbon removal purchases. The new deal will allow Vaulted Deep to expand its operations to new sites across the U.S., addressing the treatment of biomass waste from farms, municipalities, and industries nationwide.
[1] Vaulted Deep. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.vaulteddeep.com/
[2] Microsoft. (2021, October 13). Microsoft signs 12-year agreement with Vaulted Deep to purchase up to 4.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide removal. Retrieved from https://news.microsoft.com/2021/10/13/microsoft-signs-12-year-agreement-with-vaulted-deep-to-purchase-up-to-4-9-million-tonnes-of-carbon-dioxide-removal/
[3] Carbon180. (2021, October 13). Microsoft signs 12-year agreement with Vaulted Deep to purchase up to 4.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide removal. Retrieved from https://carbon180.org/blog/microsoft-signs-12-year-agreement-with-vaulted-deep-to-purchase-up-to-4-9-million-tonnes-of-carbon-dioxide-removal/
[4] Carbon Pulse. (2021, October 13). Microsoft signs 12-year offtake agreement with Vaulted Deep for the delivery of up to 4.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide removal. Retrieved from https://www.carbonpulse.com/news/2021/10/13/microsoft-signs-12-year-oftake-agreement-with-vaulted-deep-for-the-delivery-of-up-to-4-9-million-tonnes-of-carbon-dioxide-removal/
- The agreement between Microsoft and carbon removal company Vaulted Deep signifies a significant advancement in science, technology, business, and environmental-science sectors, as this partnership is one of the largest carbon removal deals ever made, aiming to combat climate-change.
- Vaulted Deep's unique carbon removal process, which injects carbon-rich biomass deep underground for permanent storage, not only removes carbon from the atmosphere but also addresses real-world waste management challenges, such as preventing contamination and methane production.
- The partnership between Microsoft and Vaulted Deep is part of Microsoft's goal to become carbon negative by 2030, and in the financing aspect, this deal expands Microsoft's carbon removal purchases to over 30 million tonnes, moving it to the second-largest purchaser position in the market.
