A process known
as biomass carbon removal and storage is being used by the company Mast
Reforestation. It involves burying trees at wildfire-burned sites. The company
has developed a carbon credit scheme for its process, which involves burying
the burned-out trees and planting new trees. The credit is retired earlier than
other reforestation credits. The company’s method involves burying the charred
trees in an oxygen-free landfill. According to the article in Trellis:
“The company recently raised $25 million in a Series B
funding round led by the venture capital firm Pulse Fund, which specializes in
climate tech investments. It has also secured a pre-issuance project rating
from carbon ratings agency BeZero for the Montana pilot of BBBe, meaning that
there is a “moderate likelihood” that one credit will achieve one metric ton of
emissions reduction.”
“The project should generate about 30,000 metric tons of
carbon removal credits by 2026, the company estimates, and it is seeking
corporate buyers for those credits. The new funding round will enable it to
generate an initial 5,000 metric tons of credits while reforesting 125 acres of
land.”
The company is focused on
reforestation. They say that this biomass burial is a good complement to
reforestation. With the burial, they do not issue carbon credits for replanting
as they do in other schemes, but only for burial. Replanting is seen as a
co-benefit. They believe that biomass burial offers a chance to accelerate
reforestation.
The method, as shown below,
involves burying the trees deeply, presumably near or below the water table,
where oxygen would be low or not present. They also note that there are
problems with leaving charred trees on the ground, including as fuel for future
fires, as a continuing source of disease and infestation if applicable, and as
biomass that emits carbon slowly into the atmosphere. Burying them deep
sequesters the carbon, can reduce disease and infestation, and takes away fuel.
After a severe burn, it is
common to apply forest management techniques. These include reforestation with
newly planted seeds. One issue with reforestation accounting in burned-out
areas is that many seeds that are planted do not grow; only a percentage of
them.
Mast Reforestation develops
carbon removal credits by burying post-wildfire biomass, which is then used to
finance reforestation efforts. The company also coordinates with its two
nurseries, giving them the largest seed bank in the Western U.S.
There are a few other
companies involved with biomass burial. Australian company Inter Earth is one.
They hope to do more of their work on low-rainfall farmland, something which is
abundant in Australia. Inter Earth also uses a dry stacking technology where
the biomass is stored in above-ground chambers that are monitored for
outgassing and have been shown to be an inert, non-decomposing environment.
They replant with native Australian Eucalyptus and Acacia trees, which “have
high C:N ratio, high crystalline cellulose and aromatic tannin contents all of
which positively contribute to decomposition recalcitrance.”
Their dry-stack method
involves stacking the biomass, covering it with a waterproof barrier, and then
covering it with a thick layer of soil. They monitor soil gases to document
that there is no outgassing.
Another company from Houston,
Texas, Carbon Sequestration, Inc., buries trees in anoxic underground vaults.
They are also developing their own carbon credit system. Some of their
methodology is shown below.
The company notes on their
website:
“By integrating waste management, soil improvement,
carbon sequestration, and reforestation, Carbon Sequestration, Inc. turns what
was once a disposal problem into an enduring climate solution and a model for
holistic land renewal. Our approach is scientifically rigorous, regulatory
compliant, and independently validated-delivering transparent, permanent, and
audit-able climate benefits while restoring land and supporting local
communities!”
With these three companies
and likely a few more that will come online, the technique of biomass burial,
or biomass carbon removal and storage, will likely become more commonplace as a
decarbonization and carbon offset solution.
References:
Mast
Reforestation generates carbon credits by burying trees. Meg Wilcox. Trellis.
April 3, 2025. Mast
Reforestation generates carbon credits by burying burnt trees
Carbon
Removal for Wildfire Recovery. Mast Reforestation. Restoration for Resilience
Partnering
with nature to tackle our biggest environmental challenge. Inter Earth. Inter.Earth - Partnering with nature
Restoring Land. Capturing Carbon. Protecting Communities: Pioneering nature-based carbon removal with real-world environmental benefits. Carbon Sequestration, Inc. Innovative Carbon Sequestration Solutions | Terrestrial Storage & Biomass
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