A company dedicated to spreading crushed rock on agricultural land to capture and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has secured the $50 million grand prize in a prestigious international XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, with funding from Elon Musk’s foundation.
Mati Carbon emerged as the winner from a field of 1,300 teams hailing from 88 different countries that took part in this four-year challenge. Launched in 2021, the competition aimed to stimulate the development and use of technologies that can effectively remove carbon from the environment. Experts widely assert that carbon removal is a crucial step in combating global warming, largely fueled by the excess carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal, and oil.
Michael Leitch, who led the technical aspects of the competition, emphasized the dual-track approach necessary for climate action. “It is essential not only to focus on reducing existing emissions dramatically but also on implementing carbon dioxide removal solutions on a very large scale globally,” he said.
The timing of this achievement coincides with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency implementing significant budget cuts that impact scientific agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service—agencies that perform critical climate research. Simultaneously, the federal administration has been retracting various environmental laws, including some targeting carbon emissions.
While the Musk Foundation financed the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, it remains a separate entity from the California-based nonprofit, as clarified by XPRIZE officials.
Known for its various initiatives, XPRIZE is pondering future competitions with a climate focus, addressing challenges like methane removal, reforestation, and resilience against climate impacts, according to executive director Nikki Batchelor.
Shantanu Agarwal, CEO of Mati Carbon, is optimistic about the potential his company’s method holds. He claims that their low-cost solution could address major global problems while simultaneously aiding small-scale farmers, particularly in regions like India, which frequently endure severe climate impacts such as droughts and floods that jeopardize harvests.
Jake Jordan, chief science officer of Mati Carbon, explains the company’s approach, known as enhanced rock weathering. This process is relatively simple yet effective: rainwater combines with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to form an acid that naturally breaks down rock. This chemical reaction transforms CO2 into bicarbonate, which eventually gets carried into the oceans and stored for millennia.
With its U.S. base, Mati Carbon scatters powdered basalt rock — abundant around the globe — across farmlands to expedite this natural rock weathering process. Additionally, the powdered rock delivers nutrients improving soil health and boosting crop yields.
The competition also rewarded other successful teams. A $15 million prize went to runner-up NetZero, which processes agricultural waste like coffee husks into biochar—charcoal-like particles that sequester carbon in soil while enhancing its nutrient and water retention capabilities.
Participants explored various methods of carbon storage, including subterranean organic waste deposition, enhancing oceanic carbon storage capacities, and extracting carbon directly from the air.
Scientists are investigating various geoengineering strategies to tackle climate change, ranging from conditioning the atmosphere to introducing minerals into the ocean that absorb carbon.
Rick Spinrad, the former NOAA administrator, recognized the finalists’ solutions as “scientifically extraordinary concepts” and suggested that an amalgamation of different technologies might be the most effective strategy for carbon reduction.
Although some contenders did not claim the prize, such as those working on direct air and ocean carbon capture, Leitch from XPRIZE noted that these might prove advantageous in large-scale applications. “It takes substantial time and resources to develop these technologies fully. Only the future will reveal their ultimate potential,” Leitch remarked.