Google Strikes Market-Shifting Deal to Capture CO2 at Unprecedented Low Cost

In a groundbreaking move that could shift the landscape of carbon removal technology, Google has announced a new partnership with climate tech startup Holocene to capture CO2 at a market-breaking price of just $100 per ton. This announcement comes at a time when most carbon removal services are charging upwards of $600 per ton, and it sets the stage for what could be a significant leap toward making carbon removal both affordable and scalable.

“We think it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. We need to all believe we can do it and work hard to do it,” said Anca Timofte, co-founder and CEO of Holocene, underscoring the importance of partnerships like this one in driving forward climate tech innovation.

A New Standard in Carbon Removal

Holocene, a newcomer in the rapidly growing carbon removal industry, aims to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere at a fraction of the cost charged by other competitors. With the price per ton set at just $100, Holocene hopes to prove that Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology can become a viable solution in the fight against climate change. Google’s deal with Holocene comes at a crucial time, as the tech giant’s own carbon emissions continue to rise.

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are increasingly seen as critical tools to help trap some of the planet-warming pollution that fossil fuels have unleashed over the decades. However, experts emphasize that carbon removal is no substitute for preventing emissions in the first place. Slashing carbon emissions, especially from industries like tech, remains paramount to meeting global climate goals. Still, Google’s commitment shows a significant step toward embracing both emissions reduction and active carbon capture.

Holocene’s Technology: A New Approach to Carbon Capture

Holocene’s approach to carbon removal is built on a dual-loop system that continuously pulls CO2 from the air and releases a pure stream of the greenhouse gas for storage. The system uses a chemical process that includes amino acids and guanidine, which react with CO2 to form a solid crystal. These crystals are then heated to release the captured CO2. The advantage of Holocene’s technology lies in its ability to capture and release CO2 simultaneously, unlike the “cartridge” system employed by older technologies, such as those developed by Climeworks, which requires loading and unloading CO2 in separate steps.

While Climeworks has successfully deployed commercial-scale facilities in places like Iceland, Holocene’s new chemistry could accelerate advancements in the industry by making carbon capture more efficient and cost-effective.

Big Backers for a New Startup

Despite being a young company—having launched in 2022—Holocene has already attracted major attention and investment from climate-focused organizations. Its funders include the US Department of Energy (DOE), Elon Musk’s XPrize Carbon Removal, and Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy. This impressive list of backers reflects growing confidence in the startup’s potential to bring carbon capture to scale and lower costs significantly.

Holocene’s current carbon removal plant, located in Knoxville, Tennessee, is still in its pilot phase, capable of removing just 10 tons of CO2 annually. But the startup’s agreement with Google lays out an ambitious plan: to capture 100,000 tons of CO2 by 2032. Google has reportedly paid a significant portion of the $10 million total cost up front to help Holocene build a demonstration plant capable of capturing 5,000 tons of CO2 annually, with plans for a future facility that can handle 500,000 tons.

A Small Dent in a Big Problem

Google’s decision to invest in carbon removal comes as its carbon footprint continues to grow, especially with the rising energy demands of its AI projects like Gemini. While the 100,000-ton commitment is equivalent to taking 20,000 gas-powered cars off the road for a year, it still represents only a tiny fraction of the 14.3 million metric tons of CO2 that Google emitted in 2023 alone.

The world’s carbon removal industry is still in its infancy. As of now, only 27 DAC plants have been commissioned globally, with a collective capacity to capture just 10,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. The deal with Holocene signals Google’s recognition that direct air capture is a necessary tool in the larger fight against climate change, but it also highlights the importance of continuing efforts to reduce emissions at the source.

The Future of Carbon Removal

Holocene’s $100-per-ton price tag is a critical milestone for the industry, bringing it closer to the DOE’s target for making carbon capture technologies financially feasible. If Holocene’s dual-loop chemistry proves successful, it could pave the way for other startups to follow suit, accelerating the deployment of DAC plants worldwide.

As companies like Google begin to make bigger investments in carbon removal technologies, the hope is that these technologies will scale quickly enough to make a real impact on the climate crisis. For now, Holocene represents a bold new direction in carbon removal—one that could help make capturing CO2 out of the air more affordable and effective.

Stay tuned to Kushal Bharat Tech News for the latest updates on environmental technologies, climate change solutions, and more groundbreaking innovations.