What Enhanced Weathering Opportunities Does the Acquisition of Eion Bring to Terradot?

With Terradot’s recent acquisition of Eion, two organizations specializing in enhanced rock weathering (ERW) have now merged.

Terradot is dedicated to the challenging task of stabilizing the world’s climate. Their ambition is to make a major contribution to the 10 gigatons of CO₂ that must be removed from the atmosphere every year by 2050, and their strategy is to advance the science, technology, and collaboration surrounding enhanced rock weathering (ERW). Terradot currently deploys ERW projects in Brazil, where the soil types, weather, and agricultural infrastructure create the ideal conditions for the chemical changes needed to sequester carbon through ERW. Tropical conditions in soil and weather facilitate the necessary chemical reactions. The agricultural infrastructure found in Brazil is highly developed and allows for faster deployment. Additionally, the Brazilian electricity grid is made up of almost 93% clean energy, meaning the power used to run machines that crush rocks is not contributing additional carbon to the atmosphere.

Eion has a similar focus, working to permanently sequester CO₂ through farmer-first ERW deployments, working within existing agricultural and mining ecosystems. They are meticulous in finding clean sources of olivine, sourcing rocks from Sibelco, a Belgian-owned hydro-powered quarry in Norway. Eion transports crushed minerals by water, strategically using ocean and river routes to minimize carbon emissions. Once the olivine arrives in the United States, farms in the midwest and the south can use existing fertilizer equipment to spread the rock dust on soils. As the crushed olivine dissolves into soil, it enables CO₂ capture, adds nutrients to soil so plants can grow stronger, and naturally balances soil pH therefore improving soil fertility.

The merger brings two different approaches together. Terradot has so far worked with basalt rock while Eion works directly with olivine extracted from basalt.

Basalt rock is known to weather more slowly than directly extracted olivine, but is abundant and cost effective. Basalt rock is high in calcium and phosphorus, nutrients essential to soil fertility. Calcium improves soil structure, preventing clay dispersion, while phosphorus supports energy transfer and root formation, promoting healthy plant development.

On the other hand, olivine can be extracted from mafic and ultramafic rocks, magnesium- and iron-rich rocks formed in earth’s mantle. As a result, olivine contains high levels of magnesium, a nutrient necessary for the formation of chlorophyll. Magnesium is also essential for enzyme activation in plants, which allows plants to respond to stressors such as drought.

Integrating Eion’s olivine deployments into the Terradot platform pairs proven field execution with best-in-class science and expands a diversified portfolio across the U.S. and Brazil. The result is a more delivery-ready and more financeable platform that strengthens execution across our existing projects and gives long-term buyers greater confidence as we scale.
James Kanoff, CEO of Terradot, as quoted in the Carbon Herald by Sasha Ranevska

There have been concerns over the growth of the carbon capture market due to a trend of decreasing venture fundraising. This acquisition will diversify Terradot’s offerings and provide more stability for operations in both projects. Mergers are common in dynamic industries and allow for expanded operations, research, and rapid innovation.

“Scaling durable carbon removal requires scientific integrity, measurement rigor, and strong real-world data…by bringing Eion’s operating learnings and technical contributions into the Terradot platform, we strengthen the foundation for the most defensible measurement approach in ERW and accelerate our path to scaled, high-quality delivery.”
Scott Fendorf, Chief Science Officer of Terradot, as quoted in The Wall Street Journal by Yusuf Khan

The acquisition of Eion allows Terradot to expand, continuing operations in Brazil, while absorbing Eion’s United States operations and staff. The expert team from Eion will join the talented scientists at Terradot. Combining these teams will help grow the carbon removal space. The shared project experience and operating capabilities of these teams will facilitate an accelerated expansion. Eion will add its 100,000+ carbon removal contracts to the more than 300,000 Terradot already has. Combined, the organizations will be carrying out carbon removal with companies like Google, Microsoft, and Frontier. This acquisition could enable Terradot to grow exponentially, facilitating the absorption of more carbon, the growth of healthier foods, and the establishment of ERW as the leading carbon capture method.

Alejandra Caballero Garcia is a marketing insights professional with a passion for sustainability. She graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Anthropology. Her writing highlights businesses championing sustainable agriculture and the intersection of carbon capture and community development. She serves as the persuasive copywriter for RTE, as well as managing the organization’s social media platforms.

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