Kingston, Ontario, 19 October 2023 – Canadian Wollastonite is set to play a pivotal role in one of the world’s largest enhanced rock weathering (ERW) carbon removal projects thanks to a new partnership with UK- based company UNDO Carbon. By spreading multi-purpose mineral wollastonite on agricultural land, this partnership enables the generation of high-quality, permanent carbon credits while improving crops, soils, and bottom lines for Canadian farmers. Canadian Wollastonite has set an initial goal to remove one million tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the coming years.
ERW is a nature-based carbon removal technique that permanently locks away CO₂ from the atmosphere. Rock weathering has been happening naturally for millions of years, but ERW greatly accelerates the carbon capture process by grinding silicate rocks like wollastonite down to a fine powder and applying it to agricultural land. The increased surface area reacts rapidly with CO₂-infused rainwater, breaking down the rock. The weathered rock releases beneficial nutrients and bicarbonates, which eventually end up in the oceans as solid carbonate minerals, permanently removing CO₂.
“We look forward to a fruitful partnership with UNDO and highly encourage farmers in eastern Canada to get in touch with us and take advantage of this great benefit model.” says Bob Vasily, President of Canadian Wollastonite.
Wollastonite – Rapid CO2 Removal Through Enhanced Rock Weathering
In operation since 2013, Canadian Wollastonite has been at the forefront of researching wollastonite’s advantages as a soil amendment, its co-benefits on agricultural land, and its carbon capture potential via ERW for the better part of a decade.
Working together, UNDO and Canadian Wollastonite supply crushed wollastonite to farmers at a significant discount. Through ERW, wollastonite traps and permanently locks away CO₂ from the atmosphere. For every 1.6 metric tons of crushed wollastonite spread, 1 metric ton of CO₂ is captured. Wollastonite also boasts a wealth of benefits for farmers and our food supply. As the rock weathers, it releases calcium, magnesium, and silicon, as well as other major and minor nutrients into the soil. The result is greater yields, increased pest resistance, and improvement to the pH of soils. Wollastonite can be spread on any field and replaces lime, a common soil additive that emits CO₂. Spreading wollastonite empowers farmers to fight climate change while positively impacting their livelihoods for years to come. Canadian Wollastonite currently has 17 million tons of wollastonite readily available, making it a reliable and sustainable supplier for agriculture, and other industries seeking effective and measurable solutions for reducing carbon output.
A Natural Carbon Removal Partnership
While Canadian Wollastonite supplies farms with crushed wollastonite, which captures CO₂ and improves soils, UNDO’s ERW expertise brings extensive technical knowledge to precisely measure and verify the CO₂ being captured. UNDO has spread more than 150,000 tons of silicate rock since its founding in 2022, and this partnership enables the ERW-focused carbon removal company to scale its international operations.
“We are thrilled to be working with Canadian Wollastonite,” says Rob Palmer, head of Emerging Technology at UNDO. “It’s exciting to see wollastonite’s advantages as a carbon removal solution and a benefit to farmers across Canada.”
With closely aligned values and a shared desire to deploy nature’s resources to pioneer radical climate action, Canadian Wollastonite and UNDO’s partnership is tailor-made for success. Canadian Wollastonite is among North America’s most environmentally responsible mining companies and has planted more than 15,000 trees on its Kingston property. It has developed several large wetlands, noting a marked increase in purple martin, duck, and bat populations. Less than 15% of the property’s 220 hectares of land will be disturbed by mining activities, allowing environmental projects to enrich the
surrounding area. Furthermore, Canadian Wollastonite plans to install solar panels in 2024 in an effort to expand the use of renewable energy powering its operations.
Even at this early stage, UNDO’s lifecycle operations with Canadian Wollastonite boasts more than 90% carbon efficiency. This means that for every 100 tons of CO₂ removed through the spreading of wollastonite, less than 10 tons of CO₂ are emitted in the process of mining, crushing and milling.
Plans to Scale Operations
By the end of 2023, Canadian Wollastonite plans to spread 10,000 tons of Wollastonite on farms in Ontario on behalf of UNDO, expanding to 100,000 tons in 2024. Canadian Wollastonite encourages farmers and landowners in Ontario and Quebec to get in touch and find out how they can receive wollastonite for the benefit of their soil, crops, and the planet.
Canadian Wollastonite and UNDO’s partnership is truly a win-win scenario: a win for local farmers and businesses engaged in using wollastonite, and an environmental win as the world continues the battle to stabilize and reduce the amount of Carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere.
