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Microsoft announced Thursday it would buy 3.6 million carbon removal credits from a biofuels plant in Louisiana owned by C2X. The plant, which is slated to begin operating in 2029, will process forestry waste into methanol, which can be used to power ships and planes and as a raw material for chemical manufacturing. Altogether, the facility will produce more than 500,000 metric tons of methanol. About 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide will be captured and stored, likely underground.
The purchase is one of many that Microsoft has made in the last year or so, including a 4.9 million metric ton deal with Vaulted Deep, a 3.7 million metric ton agreement with CO280, and a 7 million metric ton buy from Chestnut Carbon. Microsoft’s rapid expansion of its data center footprint has imperiled its 2030 pledge to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it generates. While the company also buys large amounts of renewable and nuclear power, carbon renewal purchases like these will help offset future fossil fuel emissions.
