The Carbon Removal Coalition, known as Frontier, has announced the facilitation of $80 million in offtake agreements with major companies such as Google, H&M, Stripe, and Salesforce. This initiative aims to remove nearly 300,000 tons of CO2 by using innovative technologies that integrate carbon removal into existing industrial processes. The agreements involve two key players: CO280, focused on Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) in the pulp and paper industry, and CREW Carbon, which enables CO2 removal through improvements in wastewater treatment.
Launched in April 2022 with commitments from multiple tech giants and consulting firm McKinsey, Frontier represents an advance market commitment designed to facilitate permanent carbon removal. This effort not only stimulates the development of new carbon removal technologies but also ensures there is a consistent demand for such solutions by vetting suppliers for effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
Under these new agreements, CO280 will receive $48 million to remove 224,500 tons of CO2 from 2028 to 2030, and CREW will be allocated $32.1 million for removing 71,878 tons between 2025 and 2030. Both sectors together could potentially contribute to the removal of over 1 billion tons of CO2 annually, showcasing a viable model for collaboration between startups and large industrial entities.
Hannah Bebbington, Frontier’s Head of Deployment, emphasized that existing industrial expertise and infrastructure play a crucial role in carbon removal, demonstrating that substantial progress can be made without solely relying on novel technologies.
CO280, based in Vancouver, is actively working on large-scale projects in partnership with the pulp and paper sector. Its CEO, Jonathan Rhone, remarked on Frontier’s significant role in scaling up affordable carbon removals. Meanwhile, Connecticut-based CREW Carbon integrates carbon removal within wastewater treatment processes by converting CO2 into bicarbonate.
With these offtake agreements in place, a variety of companies, including Autodesk, Workday, and several others through a partnership with Watershed, will also partake in these carbon removal initiatives.