BLOCK’S PURCHASE TO REMOVE 1,500 TONS OF CARBON BY 2027 THROUGH BRILLIANT PLANET’S DESERT ALGAE BURIAL METHOD
July 26, 2023 Jorge Diaz
Brilliant Planet, a leader in high-integrity nature-based, permanent carbon removal, has announced its first large-scale purchase from Block, a global technology company focused on financial services. The purchase was facilitated through the Watershed Marketplace, an enterprise climate platform that provides a curated selection of nature-based and engineered carbon removal options.
On behalf of Block, Brilliant Planet will remove 1,500 tons of carbon by 2027 at its planned demonstration facility in Morocco. Block is committed to becoming net zero carbon for its operations by 2030, which includes internal carbon reductions, transparent emissions disclosures, and carbon removal sourcing. Block’s carbon removal portfolio includes a variety of interventions such as reforestation, biochar, biomass sequestration, and direct air capture.
Brilliant Planetremoves CO2 from the atmosphere by growing local strains of marine algae on land in coastal desert areas. The algae biomass is harvested, dried, and buried underground on-site, ensuring sequestered carbon remains stable for over 1,000 years. This method captures 30 times more carbon per year than an equivalent area of forest without competing for productive land.
Brilliant Planet has operated pilot projects in Southern Morocco, South Africa, and Oman. Construction on their demonstration site will begin in Q2 2024, with operations starting later that year. The company aims to reach a carbon removal capacity of 1 million tons of CO2 per year by 2030.
In addition to carbon removal, Brilliant Planet’s method de-acidifies coastal areas and creates high-quality jobs in vulnerable rural areas, contributing to biodiversity and providing solutions to climate change.
The Watershed Marketplace facilitates the purchase of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to help companies scale businesses involved n innovative CDR projects. Watershed’s team of climate scientists vets CDR projects for various factors such as additionality, verification, durability, leakage, co-benefits, and catalytic nature.
The partnership between Brilliant Planet, Block, and Watershed demonstrates the shared vision of a net-zero future and the importance of early support for innovative projects in combating climate change.