Microsoft has signed a deal with Vaulted Deep to store 4.9 million metric tons of carbon by suspending human and agricultural waste 1.5 km deep in the ground to offset emissions generated by power plants supporting artificial intelligence.
Microsoft has signed a deal with Vaulted Deep to store 4.9 million metric tons of carbon by suspending human and agricultural waste 1.5 km deep in the ground to offset emissions generated by power plants supporting artificial intelligence.
According to Inc., the cost of removing one ton of CO2 using this method is about $350. According to Tom’s Hardware, this means that the value of Microsoft’s deal with Vaulted Deep could exceed $1.7 billion.
«Typically today, this waste ends up in landfills, dumped into waterways, or just scattered on the ground. In all of these cases, it decomposes into CO2 and methane. This contributes to climate change. And then, especially when it’s scattered on the ground, all of these pathogens end up directly in people’s groundwater,» said Vaulted Deep CEO Julia Reichelstein.
Microsoft previously signed a deal with AtmosClear to sequester 6.75 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. However, Vaulted’s technology is unique in that instead of extracting carbon dioxide from the air or generating electricity, it collects organic waste.
It turns it into a thick slurry, which is then pumped about 1.5 km underground. This prevents the waste from being dumped in landfill, where it decomposes over time and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
As is known, computational processes lead to CO2 emissions, which affects climate change and global warming. Previously, researchers from Germany measured and compared the CO2 emissions of different AI models, and found that the amount of carbon dioxide emissions is affected by the topic of the user’s questions and the AI model.
«Vaulted offers a dual solution. It meets urgent waste management needs and contributes to significant improvements in climate and public health,» said Reichelstein.
Microsoft’s Brian Marrs called Vaulted Deep «a waste management company that became a carbon removal company,» and said its approach to co-benefits was a deciding factor in securing the deal.
The 4.9 million tons from Vaulted Deep complement Microsoft’s carbon removal strategy, which includes removing 59 million tons through other projects in 2025 alone. Thus, on paper, Microsoft is offsetting emissions from its data centers, including those that power AI, and improving its environmental performance.
Last fall, it became known that the nuclear power plant at the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in US history could be restarted to power Microsoft’s artificial intelligence development.
