Microsoft will spend over $1 billion to process organic waste: including human waste, animal manure, etc., stored 1,500 meters underground

The biotech startup Vaulted Deep announced that it has secured a contract with Microsoft to handle 4.9 million tons of waste from feces, sewage, and agricultural byproducts, injecting it deep underground by 2038. For Microsoft, the aim is to reduce carbon emissions by processing organic waste. Both parties have not disclosed the specific terms of the agreement, but Inc. magazine reported that Vaulted Deep's current cost for removing a ton of carbon dioxide is $350, making the deal worth over $1.7 billion according to Microsoft's contract. It is reported that this is not Microsoft's first collaboration with other companies to offset greenhouse gas emissions. In April of this year, Microsoft signed an agreement with AtmosClear to plan for the sequestration of 6.75 million tons of carbon dioxide. However, Vaulted Deep's technology is unique. The company does not extract carbon dioxide from the air or from electricity production; instead, it collects organic waste, mixes it into a thick slurry, and then injects it about 5,000 feet underground. This process prevents the waste from being dumped in landfills, thereby stopping it from decomposing and releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Such projects enable Microsoft and other tech giants to offset the significant carbon emissions generated by data centers, which consume large amounts of electricity, often sourced from fossil fuels