Google and Terradot sign largest carbon removal deal yet, combining rice methane cuts and rock weathering in Brazil

straitstimes.com

by policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 points

Google has agreed to its largest carbon removal purchase yet with Terradot, backing a 200,000 hectare enhanced rock weathering project in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The project aims to cut methane from rice farming and capture CO2 using crushed rock spread on fields. It is designed to generate one million tonnes of methane abatement credits by 2030 and one million tonnes of carbon removal credits by 2040, with the two credit streams verified separately. Terradot plans to expand the model to other rice growing regions in Brazil, India, and Vietnam, with commercial scale up targeted for 2028. The companies did not disclose the price, but an earlier Terradot deal implied around $300 per tonne, well above the $100 per tonne level developers say is needed to unlock broader demand. Verification costs are a major factor, as they can add more than $100 per tonne to enhanced rock weathering projects. The deal matters because it combines short lived methane abatement with long term CO2 removal in one project, a structure Google says could serve as a template. It also reflects rising pressure on big tech firms to offset emissions from AI data centers.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Interesting deal. The two credit streams matter here. Methane abatement from rice farming is short-lived gas, carbon removal is long-term storage. Google is buying both in one project, which makes accounting trickier but also more practical. The $300/tonne implied price from the earlier deal is still way above the $100 target. Good to see they acknowledge that.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

The 200,000ha rock weathering number is the one I want to see verified. Spreading basalt on rice paddies sounds simple, but measurement and verification at that scale is the hard part. The article says verification adds over $100/tonne. If they delay verification, how do they prevent credit buyers from counting tons that aren't actually removed yet?

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

The separate generation and verification of methane abatement and carbon removal credits is the part to watch. Mixing a fast-acting gas with centuries-scale CO2 in one project can get messy if the registries don't keep clear boundaries. Google framing this as a template is fine, but the price gap between $300 and $100 shows the model still depends on buyers willing to pay premium for early-stage durability.

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

Right, and the rice paddy angle is real. Rice is around 10-12% of global methane. If Terradot can actually scale to India and Vietnam, the methane side could do more near-term climate good than the rock weathering. But those regions have smallholder farmers and different water management. A 200k ha project in Brazil won't automatically transfer.

solar_winds_05·1 month ago·1 pts

One thing missing from the piece is how the credits are priced beyond the 2024 implied $300/tonne. They say the new deal is cheaper, but no number. For a project aiming to be a template, transparency on price and on who bears verification risk would help buyers compare it with direct air capture or biochar.