Biomass CDR firm claims unique method has passed 'first-year test'

By Quantum Commodity Intelligence

US-based biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) firm Graphyte's novel technique sequesters CO2 effectively, according to new results, which reinforces the company's confidence that its approach can be scaled up significantly in the years ahead.

One year of monitoring results at Graphyte's inaugural site in the US state of Arkansas confirms that the so-called 'dry-tomb' method "prevents biomass decomposition at commercial scales for appreciable time periods", a white paper prepared by the company claims.

"The Carbon Casting system is preserving carbon captured by biomass (i.e., decomposition of sequestered biomass is not occurring)," the 13-page paper said.

Graphyte's Loblolly project near the south-eastern Arkansas city of Pine Bluff uses biomass sourced from residues from timber and farming, which is dried and compressed into dense carbon blocks.

These blocks are stored underground in chambers, called zones, and create an engineered sink by physically isolating biomass so it cannot oxidize back to CO2 or reduce to methane.

It thus removes carbon from the natural cycle, providing durable sequestration, said the white paper.

It added: "Specifically, the data show no measurable increases in methane in any zone, and minimal increases in CO2."

"The CO2 rates we observe are 50-1 00x lower than what would be expected from decomposing biomass and are consistent with the slow oxidation of trace organic carbon found within the sand infill material," it added.

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