Boeing will purchase up to 100,000 metric tons of carbon removal from Charm Industrial, a startup transforming forest wastes into “bio-oil” stored permanently underground.
Why it matters: It’s Charm’s first aviation deal amid growing emissions from flight — and an aerospace industry seeking climate solutions that can eventually reach a large scale.
- Terms and timelines weren’t disclosed.
How it works: Charm uses biomass from forest management, like thinning to prevent wildfires, that would otherwise be burned and release CO2.
- It’s heated to extremely high temperatures in equipment called pyrolyzers to create “bio-oil.”
- This liquid is injected underground, including in former oil wells.
- The process produces a second product — biochar — that can help remove CO2 when applied to farmlands to boost soil health.
State of play: The federal focus on climate has waned, but many industrial giants are still seeking to meet long-term pledges.
Charm CEO Peter Reinhardt also noted other benefits from the company’s tech — helping wildfire prevention, avoiding fine particulate pollution, capping orphaned wells, and creating jobs.
“In terms of the broader community impact, it goes pretty far beyond carbon dioxide,” he said in an interview.