Carbon sequestration

Sequestering carbon from the atmosphere

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a supplementary strategy in mitigating climate change. The global energy transition requires a major increase in biological carbon sinks and technological solutions to sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

The energy transition journey mainly focuses on reducing new greenhouse gas emissions in order to mitigate climate change. The second pathway simultaneously focuses on removing carbon that is already in the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide Removal methods remove CO2 from the atmosphere and permanently store it on land, underground, or in the ocean. However, it is important to assess the potential of such technologies realistically - CDR is a supplementary strategy in mitigating emissions, not the only solution.

What is carbon farming?

Check out three facts about the solution.

How do carbon credits mitigate climate change?

Carbon sequestration projects

Exploring CDR technologies in the NEGEM project

St1 participated in NEGEM, a multinational research project led by the research institute VTT between 2020 and 2024. It assessed the potential of various carbon dioxide removal technologies. The project highlights the limited role of CDRs in climate change mitigation currently, but by initiating industrial-level deployment in the 2030's, a larger-scale impact could be reached by 2050. The results showed the realistic and cost-efficient potential for these practices, especially when implemented through a portfolio of various CDR methods.

Visit NEGEM website

Carbon sequestration pilot in Morocco

St1 ran a pilot project in Morocco from 2018 to 2023, planting fast-growing trees in a dry area to study their potential as a carbon sink. The project aimed to develop cost-effective methods for forest growth and carbon capture using soil improvements and irrigation. The research showed that increasing CO2-absorbing vegetation is possible even in barren, arid conditions, providing a valuable climate change solution while improving local living conditions and expanding green cover.

Download final report

EU LIFE Carbon Farming Scheme

St1 managed the EU LIFE Carbon Farming Scheme project during 2020-2022, which received funding from the LIFE Preparatory Programme of the European Union. The project studied and piloted carbon credit supply and demand to support the development of European climate policy and regulation. Our project partners represented the entire value chain, from farmers to research centres. St1 delivered a final report to the EU commission in April 2022, which was utilised in the development of the European Commission’s regulation proposal for certification framework for carbon removals.