Storing CO₂ with Underground Forest

Trees are natural carbon storage champions, absorbing CO₂ as they grow. However, a fully mature forest reaches its storage limit at around 500 tons of CO₂ per hectare. While trees continue to grow, some inevitably die due to shading, storms, wildfires, or pests.

To increase a forest’s carbon storage capacity beyond this limit, fully grown trees can be selectively harvested and replaced with new seedlings. We preserve these trees permanently by embedding them deep in layers of peat and clay. By preserving just 2% of the forest annually, we ensure that after 50 years, the forest still holds 500 tons of CO₂ while an additional 500 tons remain safely stored underground. This method effectively doubles the forest’s carbon removal capacity.

The best part? The preserved wood remains protected from wildfires, pests, and decay. The Netherlands already has 25 million wooden piles embedded in saturated soils, proving that this method can safely store carbon for millennia—especially for spruce trees.

A Second Life for Stored Carbon

Underground Forest doesn’t just store carbon—it puts it to good use. The preserved wood serves as a foundation for building projects, making it possible to construct homes that remove more CO₂ from the atmosphere than the emissions generated by the building process and materials.

About the Project

This carbon removal project is based in Sleeuwijk, Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands. A plant grower there chose to build a sustainable greenhouse using wooden piles instead of concrete. By doing so, they stored carbon in the wood while avoiding the emissions associated with concrete production.

Underground Forest, in collaboration with the landowner, forester, contractor, and pile driver, ensured this carbon removal process was executed successfully. The landowner, as the initial owner of the stored CO₂, has transferred the certification rights to Underground Forest, allowing the creation of carbon credits. The income from selling these credits is shared, making it financially viable to choose sustainable wooden foundations over traditional concrete.

Website: https://undergroundforest.nl/

Underground Forest Sleeuwijk

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