Microsoft has signed a significant deal to purchase manure, agricultural waste, and human waste for USD 1.7 billion, or approximately Rs 14,025 crore. In order to offset emissions from its energy-intensive AI data centers, this deal is a crucial part of its carbon removal strategy. The US startup Vaulted Deep and the Redmond-based IT giant have partnered for 12 years to inject organic waste 5,000 feet down in an effort to remove 4.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Why microsoft is buying Human waste?
Given that Microsoft's AI operations dramatically increase energy consumption and carbon emissions, the company urgently needs innovative solutions, which is why this partnership was formed. The company released 75.5 million tons of CO2 equivalent between 2020 and 2024, and its AI infrastructure was a major factor in the most recent increase.  According to the WSJ, the arrangement is a significant investment in waste-to-carbon technology, given current market values of USD 350 per ton for carbon removal.

Vaulted Deep collects what it refers to as "bioslurry" from paper mills, sewage systems, and agricultural fields.  After being ground up, this material is injected underground with the aid of specialized pumps.  The purpose of this method is to stop the waste from naturally breaking down, which would release greenhouse gases like methane, which has four times the warming potential of CO2.
 
In remarks to Inc., Julia Reichelstein, CEO of Vaulted Deep, stated, "We're taking different types of organic waste that today cause problems above ground, and instead we put it really deep underground for permanent carbon removal." This method seeks to address several environmental problems simultaneously.  Spreading biosolids on farmland is a common practice in conventional waste disposal methods, which can lead to nutrient runoff and the contamination of water systems with dangerous chemicals like PFAS.

Microsoft to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030
Microsoft intends to eliminate more greenhouse gases than it has released since its founding by 2050 and hopes to become carbon negative by 2030. With the acquisition of 59 million tons this year alone, the business has already accumulated almost 83 million tons of carbon reduction credits.
 
Brian Marrs, senior director of energy and carbon removal at microsoft, said, "Vaulted Deep offers a unique, scalable approach to permanent carbon removal with low technology risk." After Microsoft's previous $2.36 billion transaction with AtmosClear, which promises to remove 6.75 million metric tons over 15 years, the arrangement with Vaulted Deep is the second-largest carbon removal buy ever recorded.

 

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