Google closed its biggest deal carbon removal to date through aTerradot project in Brazil which will combine the reduction of methane in rice crops with the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
The initiative will be developed mainly in Rio Grande do Sul and will cover more than 200,000 hectares, the project will act on two greenhouse gases through different mechanisms and with separate verification deadlines.
How will the Google and Terradot project work?
On one hand, Terradot will work to reduce methane emissions associated with rice paddies, on the other, it will use enhanced rock weathering to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it for longer periods.
Enhanced weathering seeks to accelerate a natural process in which certain minerals react with CO2, by applying these materials to agricultural land, it is possible to increase the carbon capture while measurements are being taken to determine how much CO2 can be verifiably credited.
The project also represents a significant leap in scale for this technology, the portion dedicated to carbon removal is roughly equivalent to ten times the volume committed to previous enhanced weathering projects backed by Google.
One million tons of methane by 2030
Terradot expects to generate credits equivalent to a reduction of 1 million metric tons of methane by 2030, in the case of carbon removal, the timeline will be longer, with a target of 1 million tons of credits by 2040.
Both results will be generated and verified independently, this separation will allow us to differentiate the reductions obtained through changes in rice paddies from the CO2 removed through rock weathering.
The different timeframes also reflect the nature of each process, methane reduction can produce results in less time, while carbon removal requires longer periods to accumulate, measure, and verify the captured CO2.
Rice paddies are included in the emissions reduction strategy
The project incorporates rice cultivation into decarbonization strategies supported by major technology companies. A 2021 assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme estimated that rice paddies account for between 10% and 12% of global methane emissions.
Reducing these emissions allows action to be taken on a gas with a strong short-term warming effect, while the removal of carbon dioxide addresses emissions that can remain in the atmosphere for much longer periods.
Google seeking to combine both paths within the same initiative, the company already maintained a financial relationship with Terradot after acquiring a stake in the company in 2024.
The cost of removing carbon remains above $100
One of the main challenges remains the price, James Kanoff, CEO of Terradot, indicated that the new project will cost less than previous agreements, although it will still remain above $100 per ton.
That level is considered an important benchmark for scaling up the adoption of carbon removal solutions, a previous agreement with Terradot, signed in 2024 to remove 90,000 tons, was set at approximately $300 per ton.
The company expects to reduce costs through increased scale and changes to the timeframes used before independent verification of sequestered carbon. This would allow for the accumulation of a greater amount of CO2 before certain measurements are taken.
The model could be extended beyond Brazil
The scale of the project could increase in the future, Google and Terradot believe the model has the potential to be applied to the approximately 1.5 million hectares of rice paddies in Brazil.
The developer is also exploring the possibility of bringing the system to other major rice-producing regions. India and Vietnam are among the markets where this approach could be replicated.
The agreement comes at a time when technology companies are facing increased emissions associated with the growth of data centers and the expansion of artificial intelligence.
In that context, methane reduction and carbon removal appear as two complementary tools within their decarbonization strategies.
Source: International The News.
Photo: Shutterstock
