Google, Stripe, Shopify sign carbon removal deal with CO2-into-rock startup 44.01

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🗞️ Driving the news: Carbon removal startup 44.01 has secured an $11.7 million agreement through Frontier, a buyer coalition representing companies including Google, Stripe and Shopify
• The deal will fund the permanent removal of nearly 21,000 tonnes of CO₂ between 2028 and 2031, using technology that converts carbon dioxide into rock deep underground

🔭 The context: Founded in Oman in 2020, 44.01 accelerates natural mineralisation by dissolving captured CO₂ in water and injecting the solution into underground rock formations, where it reacts with minerals and solidifies
• The agreement marks Frontier’s first carbon removal purchase using in-situ mineralisation and its first such deal in the Middle East
• The project will also test the technology at commercial scale, generating operational data to inform future deployments

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Mineralisation offers a pathway to store captured carbon permanently, potentially expanding carbon removal in regions where conventional geological storage is difficult or costly
• However, the project’s climate contribution will depend on verified, durable removal, operational performance and the ability to scale economically

⏭️ What’s next: The project aims to demonstrate commercial viability and reduce costs, paving the way for larger installations
• Frontier, which recently raised $915 million from corporate buyers, is prioritising technologies with credible potential to scale to gigatonne-level carbon removal.

💬 One quote: “Where we can store CO₂ shouldn’t limit where we can remove it,” said Hannah Bebbington Valori, Head of Frontier

📈 One stat: 21,000 tonnes of CO₂ — the amount the agreement targets removing permanently between 2028 and 2031

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