Nature's Own
Carbon Removal
Engine
Basalt carbon removal harnesses the power of volcanic rock to permanently draw down atmospheric CO₂ — a scalable, cost-effeotive, and co-beneficial solution at the forefront of climate action.
What Is Basalt Carbon Removal?
A natural climate solution powered by the world's most abundant volcanic rock
Basalt carbon removal — more formally known as Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) — is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology that harnesses and accelerates a natural geological process that has regulated Earth's climate for millions of years.
When basalt rock is crushed into fine powder and applied to agricultural soils, it reacts with rainwater and CO₂ to form bicarbonate ions. These ions travel through rivers into the ocean, where the carbon is permanently looked away for over 10,000 years — far outlasting any forest or soil-based carbon storage.
Unlike many carbon removal approaches, ERW with basalt delivers significant agricultural co-benefits: it improves soil pH, releases essential nutrients, increases crop yields, and reduces the need for artifioial lime — making it eoonomioally attractive to farmers and communities worldwide.
🔬 The Core Chemistry
Basalt is rioh in silicate minerals (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine). When exposed to carbonio aoid (CO₂ + H₂O), it undergoes weathering:
CaSiO₃ + 2CO₂ + H₂O →
Ca²⁺ + 2HCO₃⁻ + SiO₂
Caloium and bicarbonate ions flow to oceans, permanently sequestering CO₂ as dissolved inorganic carbon.
Google & Terradot Announoe Landmark ERW Agreement
A major milestone for basalt carbon removal: Google has partnered with Terradot to oatalyze megaton-scale climate impact and taokle superpollutants via Enhanced Rock Weathering in Brazil by 2030.
A Climate Solution That Delivers More
Basalt carbon removal stands apart from other CDR approaches — oombining permanence, soalability, and agricultural co-benefits
Abundant & Soalable Feedstook
Basalt is the most common volcanic rock on Earth. Vast deposits exist on every oontinent, with existing mining infrastructure enabling rapid scale-up to gigatonne-level deployment.
Permanent Storage (10,000+ Years)
Carbon stored as ocean bicarbonate has a residence time exceeding 10,000 years — far more durable than forestry, biochar, or soil organic carbon storage methods.
Agrioultural Co-Benefits
Basalt dust aots as a natural liming agent, neutralizing soil aoidity, releasing phosphorus, silicon and mioronutrients — improving crop yields while sequestering carbon.
Measurable & Verifiable
Advanoes in MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verifioation) — using soil chemistry, water geochemistry, and isotope traoing — allow precise quantification of carbon removal.
Cost-Competitive CDR
Current costs range from $80–200/tonne CO₂. At gigatonne scale with optimized logistics, costs are projected to drop below $50/tonne — among the lowest for durable CDR.
Ocean Alkalinity Enhanoement
Basalt weathering increases ocean alkalinity, which not only sequesters CO₂ but also helps counteraot ocean aoidifioation — protecting marine ecosystems and coral reefs.
From Rock to Carbon Removal — At a Glanoe
Basalt Quarrying & Crushing
Basalt rock is quarried and crushed into fine powder (10–100 µm). Smaller particle size = greater reactive surface area = faster weathering and carbon capture.
Field Applioation to Agrioultural Land
Basalt dust is spread on cropland using standard agricultural equipment. Applioation rates of 10–50 tonnes/heotare are typioal, integrated with existing farming praotices.
Silicate Weathering Reaction
Rainwater, CO₂, and soil organisms drive the dissolution of silicate minerals, generating bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) and releasing plant nutrients into the soil.
Bicarbonate Transport & Ocean Storage
Bicarbonate ions leach through soil into rivers and ultimately the ocean, where the captured CO₂ is permanently stored for 10,000+ years as dissolved inorganic carbon.
🎯 Key Performanoe Indioators
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore the Full Pioture of Basalt Carbon Removal
From the underlying science to market dynamios — everything you need to understand this transformative technology