Neustark has created a new and durable carbon capture system, which captures carbon dioxide at point source. After capturing the Co2, Neustark made the system capable of storing it within mineral waste, one form of mineral waste could be demolition concrete.

Neustark is a Switzerland-based carbon removal developer and it was back in 2022 when Microsoft and Neustark first agreed to create a partnership that would focus on capturing and storing Co2. This makes the new six-year offtake agreement a development on their previous partnership, continuing their collaboration. This collaboration will take place over a six-year period and it will involve Neustark providing Microsoft with 27,600 tons of high-quality and durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

Microsoft has chosen to work with Neustark for this project, not only because of their long-standing relationship, but also because it is Neustark’s technology that is capable of repurposing concrete and mineral waste into permanent Co2 storage solutions. Neustark’s technology is able to reuse concrete from demolished buildings, as well as other mineral waste material and make permanent storage space for removed Co2 out of them. The company is able to do this through using a process called mineralisation. Biogenic carbon dioxide is captured from partnering biogas plants, it is then liquefied and then transported to partnering construction waste recycling sites. Once at these sites, the captured carbon dioxide is injected into the demolition concrete granules which triggers an accelerated mineralisation process. This reaction, prompted by Neustark’s technology, binds the carbon dioxide to the pores and surfaces of the granules permanently and then these granules of concrete which contain carbon dioxide, are used by recyclers to build and create roads, or to simply produce recycled concrete. This technique has been proven and it can store the Co2 for hundreds of thousands of years, it is also permanent, with the risk of reversal being slim to none and Neustark’s CDR is both measurable and is verified by the Gold Standard.

Neustark’s technology having the capacity to do this, highlights the company’s leading role in the carbon removal industry and this important position is supported by Microsoft’s interest in working with Neustark. Their leading role is also portrayed with their aim, that they are actively pursuing, through their commitment to being carbon negative by 2030.

Neustark currently has multiple other carbon removal and storage plants either in operation or in their construction phase throughout Switzerland, Germany and Europe. Neustark is creating these plants and scaling up their business as quickly as possible, with the aim of permanently removing one million tons of Co2 by 2030.

Head of CDR at Neustark, Lisa Braune, commented, “We turn the world’s largest waste stream – demolition concrete – and other mineral waste material into a carbon sink. Our solution makes an impact now: we have removed more than one thousand tons of CO2 to date, and we are expanding our footprint quickly. Working with such carbon removal pioneers such as Microsoft significantly helps to scale our impact and the CDR industry as a whole.”

Senior Director of Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft, Brian Marrs, said, “Neustark deploys a model for delivering high-quality, highly-durable carbon removal that is both scalable and measurable to help organizations towards a sustainable future. Through this six-year purchase agreement, we are excited to continue working with Neustark to advance Microsoft’s carbon removal purchasing towards our goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.”