In the United States, carbon removal developer Liferaft has finalized a milestone 10-year offtake agreement with Microsoft to deliver one million high-quality carbon removal units (CRUs). Facilitated by London-based marketplace Supercritical, this contract represents the largest biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More transaction executed in the United States to date. The carbon credits will be generated from Liferaft’s industrial production facilities situated across Iowa and Illinois, marking a pivotal commercial scale-up for domestic carbon removal infrastructure.

This agreement directly targets the historical structural challenges associated with scaling biochar deployment to meet the stringent monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards demanded by institutional buyers. Historically, the voluntary carbon market has suffered from supply fragmentation, as small-batch producers could rarely provide the decade-long volume guarantees or rigorous supply-chain traceability required by corporate accounting frameworks. Establishing consistent, large-scale removal streams over a 10-year horizon has consequently remained a primary bottleneck for tech sector leaders pursuing net-negative emissions goals.

Liferaft addresses this market bottleneck by establishing industrial-scale pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More facilities in the American Midwest designed to process regional agricultural and municipal biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More waste. The process yields a stable, carbon-rich byproduct that is systematically blended with compost to produce standardized soil amendments for agricultural application. Facilitator Supercritical supported the early project design phases to integrate transparent digital MRV systems and align operations with an International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA) endorsed registry, ensuring independent third-party verification before any removal units are issued.

The long-term contract yields significant climate, agricultural, and economic outcomes across the Midwestern region. For Microsoft, the deal secures a massive supply of durable carbon removals to advance its 2030 net-negative corporate commitment. Economically, the infrastructure investments stimulate rural economies, creating high-quality industrial jobs and offering specialized land-management training in locations like West Liberty, Iowa. Furthermore, returning the biochar-compost blend to regional soils improves moisture retention, soil health, and crop yields, demonstrating a commercially viable model that aligns corporate carbon removal with agricultural resilience.