Gigablue, a provider of scalable and affordable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies, has announced a new agreement with SkiesFifty, a company focused on sustainability in the aviation sector, to sequester 200,000 tons of CO2 over the next four years.
Building on their initial partnership in July 2024, SkiesFifty is further strengthening its relationship with Gigablue through a strategic investment in marine-based carbon removal. This agreement, which includes 200,000 carbon credits over four years, aligns with SkiesFifty’s mission to support scalable solutions in aviation’s pursuit of net-zero goals.
Ori Shaashua, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Gigablue, commented, “This agreement confirms the scalability and effectiveness of our technology. We’re using the fundamental elements of life on Earth – water and sunlight – to create a financially sustainable carbon removal solution. This deal represents the largest marine carbon dioxide removal offtake agreement to date, demonstrating the market viability of our technology.”
Carbon offsets play a key role in the decarbonization strategy set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As demand for sustainable aviation fuel continues to outpace supply, the aviation industry is increasingly turning to carbon removal solutions, as outlined in a recent McKinsey & Co. report.
Gigablue’s innovative technology offers an affordable, scalable path for permanent carbon removal by utilizing the oceans. The company’s marine carbon fixation and sequestration (MCFS) method is designed to be the lowest-cost solution for carbon sequestration, using innovative biogeochemistry. This announcement, along with several upcoming offtake agreements, positions Gigablue to remove one gigaton of CO2 by 2035.
At the core of Gigablue’s carbon removal solution is a unique substrate composed of a contained nutrient shell and a gravity-controlling core, creating the ideal environment for local phytoplankton to grow. Once the phytoplankton multiply sufficiently, a controlled sinking trigger activates, causing the substrate and the carbon it contains to sink to the ocean floor for permanent storage. Gigablue’s technology efficiently stores CO2 using only sunlight, water, and gravity, on a massive scale.
This landmark agreement highlights the growing confidence in ocean-based carbon removal solutions and their vital role in achieving the scale needed for global net-zero goals. Both the United States and the European Union are developing frameworks to validate the measurement, reporting, and verification of marine-based carbon offsets.
Simon Talling-Smith, Founding Partner at SkiesFifty, said, “At SkiesFifty, we invest in technologies that will contribute to a carbon-neutral future for aviation. We are always assessing projects, and Gigablue’s ocean-based CDR solution stood out due to its environmental safety, scalability, durability, and strong scientific backing. We believe CDR will play a crucial role in reaching net-zero aviation by 2050.”
Gigablue’s proprietary oceanographic platform uses artificial intelligence to integrate hundreds of geoinformation data points, helping to identify the best deployment zones and optimize substrate particle compositions.
The company’s MMRV framework, which has been reviewed by New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), ensures reliable and measurable carbon sequestration while supporting marine ecosystems.
Mike Williams, NIWA Chief Scientist – Oceans, added, “Climate change is an urgent challenge for society, and the expertise we bring to this issue can help support global action.”
