Enhanced Rock Weathering
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a nature-based carbon removal technology that permanently locks away CO2.
Rock Weathering: Nature’s Carbon Capture
As rainwater falls, it naturally absorbs CO₂ from the atmosphere, forming a mild carbonic acid. When this interacts with rocks, soils, and minerals, the CO₂ is permanently locked away as stable carbonates.
This natural process of mineral weathering already removes over 1 billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere every year — making it one of the planet’s most powerful, yet often overlooked, climate solutions. By accelerating this natural cycle, we can safely and permanently remove even more carbon, while enriching soils and supporting ecosystems.
Our mission is to permanently remove over a billion tonnes of CO2 and make carbon removal accessible to all.
Why This Project Matters
Biochar keeps carbon out of the atmosphere and can reduce emissions from waste burning and decomposition.
01
Soil Fertility
Silicate rocks, such as basalt and wollastonite, are mineral-rich. As they weather, they release nutrients such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, improving soil health and reducing the need for fertilisers.
02
Crop yield
An increase in crop yield following the application of crushed basalt rock, supporting global food security.
03
Ocean Health
The alkaline bicarbonate ions captured during the enhanced rock weathering process are eventually washed out to sea, where they help deacidify our oceans and are used by marine creatures to build their shells.
|Frequently Asked Questions
Basalt is a mineral-rich volcanic rock that forms when molten lava cools. It’s highly reactive and weathers over the course of 20 years. It’s also one of the most abundant rocks on Earth, enabling us to scale our operations considerably.
Wollastonite has great carbon capture potential and weathers quickly relative to other silicate rocks. It also has a host of co-benefits for farming communities.
After spreading wollastonite on agricultural land, it only takes 12 months for 50% of the spread volume to weather. This means that 50% of the wollastonite’s carbon capture potential is achieved only 1 year after the spreading event.
Wollastonite, like basalt, is a silicate rock that contains much-needed nutrients for our soils. These include calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and potassium (K+). When weathering takes place, these are absorbed into soils which can in turn result in higher crop yield, more pest-resistant plants, and stabilised soil pHs.
Both are safe to use and can significantly improve the health of the soil it’s spread on.
We believe all carbon removal solutions have a part to play in reversing the climate crisis. However, not all carbon removal technologies offer the same permanence, scalability and co-benefits as ERW.
Engineered solutions such as direct air capture (DAC) use machinery to capture CO2 directly from the ambient air. This technology offers high durability, but large amounts of energy are required to build the new machinery and then operate the fans. Another key limitation of DAC is that there are very few co-benefits.
In comparison, ERW locks carbon dioxide away for 100,000+ years.
ERW offers the best of both worlds as we are accelerating natural solutions with added co-benefits while offering tech-based permanence.
Farmers & Landowners
We supply and spread crushed silicate rock, such as wollastonite, on agricultural land. Discover how we partner with farmers and landowners to enrich soil health and combat climate change.