Microsoft Backs Wastewater-Based Carbon Removal Deal with Crew

Microsoft has signed a significant carbon removal deal with Crew Carbon, a firm specializing in wastewater alkalinity enhancement technology. The agreement covers up to 23,602 carbon removal units generated from Crew's proprietary process of dosing alkaline minerals into wastewater treatment plants.

Crew's technology reduces the carbon footprint of these plants by converting dissolved CO2 into stable bicarbonate ions instead of releasing it as gas. This inert bicarbonate is then discharged into oceans, rivers, or aquifers.

Microsoft's director of carbon removal portfolio, Phillip Goodman, praised Crew for its novel approach to wastewater-based carbon removal, stating that it is 'highly durable and measurable'.

The deal is a major milestone for Crew, which was spun out of Yale University. The company claims its closed-system approach includes inlet and outlet monitoring, with all carbon removals quantified via plant-level monitoring and verified by independent registries.