Microsoft has signed a deal with Stockholm Exergi involving the removal of 3.33 million tonnes of permanent carbon, claiming it is the largest to date.
Construction of the carbon capture, liquefaction and storage plans to start next year, alongside the Swedish firm’s biomass-fired power plant.
Stockholm Exergi will deliver negative emissions according to ‘strict quality requirements’ at Värtan, Stockholm, including biofuel sustainable sourcing criteria developed with Microsoft, conservative quantification of net negative emissions, and comprehensive monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).
Carbon removal certificate deliveries to Microsoft are planned to begin in 2028 and will continue for 10 years.
Anders Egelrud, CEO of Stockholm Exergi, said it brings investment in its bio-CCS project “a step closer”, most likely in the fourth quarter.
Brian Marrs, Senior Director, Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft, said utilising existing biopower plants is important in building a global negative emissions capacity.
He said, “In this case, we are satisfied with the efficiency achieved by recovering heat from the carbon capture to the district heating networks… it is crucial that the biofuel for bio-CCS projects comes from sustainable sources and we are impressed by Stockholm Exergi’s commitment in this regard.”
Biofuel feedstock will be controlled so that sustainable forest management, protection of sensitive areas and stable carbon stocks are ensured, and raw material doesn’t come from roundwood that would otherwise be used for long-life wood products.
When the plant is operational, Stockholm Exergi’s plant will permanently remove up to 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. It was granted an environmental permit at the end of March.
Permanent geologic storage will take place in the Nordic region.
