Microsoft ramps up plans to capture carbon from burning wood

1 week ago

Microsoft is doubling down connected a arguable scheme to seizure c dioxide emissions from wood-burning powerfulness plants. It announced a statement pinch power institution Stockholm Exergi to seizure 3.33 cardinal metric tons of c emissions from a biomass powerfulness works successful nan Swedish superior successful what is perchance nan biggest woody of its benignant to day — equivalent to taking much than 790,000 gas-powered cars disconnected nan roadworthy for a year.

It’s expected to thief Microsoft meet its goal of capturing much planet-heating c dioxide than it produces arsenic a institution by 2030 and past removing arsenic overmuch CO2 from nan ambiance arsenic it has ever emitted since its founding by 2050.

But nan assemblage is still retired connected whether wood-burning powerfulness plants really thief conflict ambiance alteration aliases make things worse. Prominent environmental groups including nan Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of nan Earth International person criticized nan strategy arsenic a “false solution.” And backmost successful 2018, astir 800 scientists signed a letter to nan European Parliament asking it to extremity supporting nan usage of wood for bioenergy.

Prominent biology groups person criticized nan strategy arsenic a “false solution”

Exergi runs a power plant successful Stockholm that runs connected wood pellets and residue from forestry waste, besides known arsenic wood biomass. Since that substance comes from trees that tin theoretically regrow to seizure arsenic overmuch c dioxide arsenic nan powerfulness works releases by burning wood, proponents spot it arsenic a carbon-neutral root of energy. The European Commission really considers biomass burning its largest root of renewable energy, moreover though it’s been tied to deforestation across Europe and the US.

Microsoft and Stockholm Exergi are taking that thought 1 measurement further by adding machinery to nan powerfulness works that’s expected to seizure a mostly of its c dioxide emissions earlier it tin flight into nan atmosphere. By doing so, they judge they tin execute antagonistic emissions — taking much CO2 retired of nan ambiance than this root of power produces. Negative emissions technologies for illustration this person go celebrated pinch companies trying to offset nan biology effect of their c pollution.

Carbon seizure and retention (CCS) is an umbrella word for a suite of technologies that seizure c dioxide emissions from business sources including powerfulness plants, refineries, and factories. The extremity is to seizure c dioxide earlier it escapes into nan aerial and past shop it distant to support it from entering nan atmosphere. But location are still concerns astir its safety, costs, and imaginable to prolong nan usage of fossil fuels.

But a growing assemblage of research suggests nan math doesn’t rather adhd up for bioenergy pinch c seizure (BECCS). Devices that scrub CO2 retired of smokestack emissions aren’t capable to seizure 100 percent of nan c dioxide. And past location are further emissions from clearing forests and transporting wood to beryllium utilized arsenic fuel. With that successful mind, respective studies person recovered that BECCS isn’t c antagonistic aft all and really adds greenhouse state contamination to nan atmosphere.

Microsoft declined to respond to The Verge’s petition for comment. It besides didn’t explain really overmuch it would walk connected nan woody pinch Stockholm Exergi. But Microsoft has heard these concerns before. It signed different deal past year pinch Danish power institution Ørsted to seizure 2.76 cardinal metric tons of c dioxide from a wood-burning powerfulness works successful Denmark.

In Stockholm, building of nan c seizure instrumentality astatine nan powerfulness works isn’t slated to commencement until adjacent twelvemonth — if Stockholm Exergi secures capable further backing from different deals and authorities aid. Then, it would return 10 years to tie down each 3.33 cardinal metric tons of c dioxide agreed to successful nan contract.

Stockholm Exergi sees this woody arsenic a large stamp of support for its c seizure technology. “It is nan strongest imaginable nickname of nan significance, value and sustainability of our project,” Stockholm Exergi CEO Anders Egelrud said successful a press release.