Google launches large-scale methane reduction project on Brazilian rice fields

Google has agreed its biggest carbon-removal deal to date, backing a Terradot project in Brazil. The initiative will cover more than 200 thsd ha of rice fields in Rio Grande do Sul and combine methane-emission reductions with CO₂ removal from the atmosphere.

The project will be the world’s largest enhanced rock-weathering initiative, a technology that accelerates the natural process through which certain rocks absorb CO₂. According to Google, it is also the first project at this scale to combine methane abatement and carbon removal.

By 2030, the project is expected to generate 1 mln tons of methane-abatement credits, followed by another 1 mln tons of carbon-removal credits by 2040. The carbon-removal component is 10 times larger than previous enhanced rock-weathering projects.

Google and Terradot said the model could eventually be expanded across around 1.5 mln ha of rice fields in Brazil and replicated in other major rice-growing regions, including India and Vietnam. Terradot plans to launch pilot projects in several countries in 2026 and scale up commercially from 2028.

The price of the credits under the new deal was not disclosed. Terradot said the project would be cheaper than previous deals, although costs are not yet expected to reach the market target of around $100/t of removed CO₂.

Tags: methane, Brazil, rice, carbon dioxide, Google