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Microsoft signs a multi‑year deal with Bengaluru‑based Alt Carbon to buy up to 36,920 tonnes of verified carbon‑removal credits from an enhanced rock
Microsoft has entered a multi‑year agreement with Bengaluru‑based climate‑tech startup Alt Carbon to purchase verified carbon‑dioxide removal (CDR) credits generated through enhanced rock weathering (ERW) in India [1]. The deal covers up to 36,920 metric tonnes of CO₂ removal from Alt Carbon’s Darjeeling Revival Project and includes an option for future purchases.
Key takeaways
Alt Carbon’s Darjeeling Revival Project combines agricultural revitalisation with carbon removal. By spreading finely ground basalt on tea estates and surrounding farms, the basalt chemically reacts with dissolved CO₂, converting it into bicarbonate ions that are carried to the oceans for long‑term storage [1]. The company has built laboratory infrastructure in Bengaluru (Shonku Labs) and Darjeeling to support measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), analysing more than 20,000 samples so far and targeting a processing capacity of 100,000 samples per year by 2026 [1].
The agreement with Microsoft also grants the tech giant access to data from ongoing field trials, deep‑soil and pore‑water monitoring, and crop uptake measurements, all of which Alt Carbon will share publicly to advance scientific understanding of ERW in tropical agricultural systems [1]. An optional clause allows Microsoft to purchase additional volumes pending successful delivery and verification milestones [1].
Microsoft’s partnership reflects a broader shift toward engineered carbon‑removal technologies, especially those that can be verified at scale. Alt Carbon’s CEO Sparsh Agarwal notes that the Global South now accounts for 26 % of CDR issuances, up from under 2 % in 2022, driven by favourable geology, lower costs, and science‑first developers [1]. He estimates ERW could potentially remove up to 2 gigatons of CO₂ annually if scaled globally [1].
Microsoft highlighted Alt Carbon’s focus on rigorous scientific measurement and high‑standard verification as key reasons for the deal, emphasizing the need for durable carbon‑removal capacity as the company pursues its carbon‑negative target for 2030 [1].
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It is a carbon removal technique that involves spreading crushed silicate rocks, such as basalt, on farmland to accelerate natural chemical reactions that store atmospheric carbon dioxide as stable bicarbonates.
India offers large-scale agricultural economies and significant volumes of biomass, providing opportunities for durable carbon removal projects that help Microsoft work toward its carbon-negative goal.
The Microsoft‑Alt Carbon agreement marks the first purchase of ERW‑derived carbon credits in Asia, signaling growing corporate confidence in emerging removal pathways beyond traditional afforestation or biochar projects. By linking verified credits to a large‑scale agricultural network, the deal could accelerate deployment of ERW technology, create jobs, and provide a model for MRV in complex, smallholder‑driven contexts. Future purchases under the optional clause will depend on Alt Carbon’s ability to meet verification milestones, making the partnership a test case for scaling scientifically robust carbon removal in the Global South.
Biochar is a charcoal-like material produced from agricultural waste that stores carbon for long periods when added to soil, while also potentially improving soil health.
Startups must navigate complex logistics involving thousands of smallholder farmers and meet rigorous, often bespoke, monitoring and verification standards to prove their carbon removal claims.