Carbon Sequestration

A tree can store up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. This adds to a significant amount of CO2 storage over a tree's lifetime. However, once a tree burns, or starts the decomposition process, the CO2 is released back into the air. CSI is working to solve this problem through biomass burial. 

This solution can be applied to many geographical regions  in the US where the waste biomass is currently viewed as a nuisance and will be burned or left to rot. Burying and not burning the material improves air quality and reduces particulate matter in the air, and also sequesters carbon in long term storage underground.

We are at the cutting edge of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technology, offering a pioneering approach that merges environmental sustainability with economic practicality. Our method, deeply rooted in scientific research and innovation, presents a scalable, cost-effective solution to one of the most pressing issues of our time - carbon emissions. By implementing our approach, we aim to significantly reduce atmospheric CO2 levels, contributing to global climate targets and fostering a cleaner, greener planet. 

CSI is a carbon removal company that sequesters carbon in an all green and all natural way. We bury biomass and seal it underground with impervious clay. Our main project is located just outside of Beaumont, Texas. Over the past four years, we have buried approximately 8,000 tCO2e of biomass in ten wood vaults. In 2023, we buried approximately 5,165.274 tCO2e in four vaults. We are certified with Puro Earth (https://puro.earth/accelerate/csi-hardin-2023-100236) and follow the Puro Standard.

What makes CSI unique is that we are one of but a few companies in the entire world who capture carbon via biomass burial. We also differentiate from other CDR's because our final product has a defined size and location which is owned by the buyer, allowing them to use it later as feedstock for BECCS, biochar, or green hydrogen if desired.

CSI's solution currently serves the people of East Texas. First, by providing clean air. Second, by bringing jobs and economic growth or an otherwise forgotten community. 

The Hardin Project site is located in Kountze,Texas, about 30 miles outside of Beaumont. Kountze has a population of less than 2,000. It is an underdeveloped area to say the least. 

Biomass burial is labor intensive. Safety permeates all steps of the process. At loading, there must be coordination between the creator of the wood waste and the transportation. Generally, loads must be under 25 tons for permitting and legal reasons, so the amount of truckloads and drivers can be substantial. Once arriving, the site team consists of several excavator and dozer teams, as well as the MRV analyst who measures moisture, carbon weight and species. Then there is the office overhead, stabilization, and MRV/trust team. All of this means jobs and economic opportunities in the Kountze community! 

The local response at first was curiosity, but it now has evolved into full support for utilizing wood waste in a constructive way for the climate. 

The CSI team is made up of lifelong Texans! Some grew up in unincorporated communities while others have never left Houston. Having this diverse array of backgrounds helps CSI understand the issues and struggles that face the communities. 

While CSI is headquartered in Houston, many on the team live close to the Hardin Project site, either in Kountze proper or Beaumont, which is about 30 miles away. Downtown Houston is about 1.5-2 hours away from the Hardin Project site.

CSI cares about the community. As alluded to above, we care about hearing the locals struggles and fears for their community. Many are uneducated with little disposable income. CSI listens and takes their concerns to heart when trying to create new jobs and strategies. 

CSI is currently in the growth stage. CSI's Hardin Project has established a successful system in Hardin County, Texas. CSI has four underground vaults that have buried approximately 5,000 tCO2. We also have a sophisticated gas collection system to track gas off take from the biomass. This includes monitoring the gas and moisture levels within the clay cap.

Our method, deeply rooted in scientific research and innovation, presents a scalable, cost-effective solution. CSI is ready for further growth. CSI owns a second location in Northeast Texas in Cherokee County, Texas. We have an option for a third location near Alexandria, Louisiana, servicing a large producing timber position consisting of over 60,000 acres and estimated to produce nearly 90,000 tCO2e annually.

CSI has completed two formal investment rounds and is currently working on our third. 

We are reaching out to secure grants to bolster our efforts. Our project not only aligns with environmental conservation goals but also promotes economic development through the creation of green jobs and the stimulation of new industries. Join us in this vital endeavor to combat climate change, championing a sustainable future for all. Support from regulators and government grants will be pivotal in scaling our solution to meet global needs, driving innovation, and leading us towards a zero-emissions future.

Costs are the biggest issue with this CDR product. Forest offsets generally sell for less than $20/mtCO2e, but the additionality is questionable at best and the recent forests fires in 2020 (west coast) and 2023 (Canada) show that the failure risk from these types of credits is extremely high. While our credit price is currently above $125/mtCO2e, we expect this to fall quickly. For our Hardin project, total costs are well below $100/tCO2e, and we see a pathway to $50/tCO2e with the use of carbon farming, which reduces our most expensive element: transportation.

Terrestrial Storage of Biomass (TSB), our long-term storage method, moves carbon within wood into the slow decay cycle, stably storing it for over a millennium. Based in East Texas, unwanted biomass is stored in our underground vaults that prevent decay through air and liquid transfer restriction. 

Our main project, CSI - Hardin 2023, situated north of Beaumont, Texas, has buried over 5,000 tCO2e of biomass over the last two years. As per the Puro.earth TSB Standard, since Spring 2023 we have sequestered over 3,500 tCO2e equivalent of wood debris, otherwise destined for burning, and have secured 10,400 tCO2e of additional wood waste for the upcoming six months. 

The Hardin site boasts geotechnical, soil, hydrological, and sourcing suitability. We use local clay from the Lissie Formation for sealing layers. its low hydraulic conductivity allows us to bury material up to 25' deep, with a 6'-15’ clay cap preventing water infiltration. 

Our operations prioritize efficiency, durability, and transparency. All records are meticulously maintained for easy audits. We use a gas collection system for monitoring gas outflow and biomass buyers may inspect their buried materials and explore future uses such as feedstocks for BECCS, biochar, and green hydrogen. Our dedicated team ensures efficient excavation, burial, max pit volume, reduction of emissions, and increased biomass density. We maintain surplus clay and reserve funds for potential remediation ensuring long-term vault stability.

Terrestrial Storage of Biomass (TSB) stores the carbon that was sequestered by photosynthesis during the tree's life. Co-benefits include: 

• Cleaner air in rural communities where the wood would have been burned;
• Increased oxygen levels; 
• Improved air quality;
• Employment opportunities in rural communities;
• Improved access to forested areas;
• Improved drainage in flood-prone areas;
• Utilization of waste products; and 
• Opportunities to create long-term forested habitats

Efficiency, durability and transparency are key to our operations. Our detailed record-keeping simplifies auditing and buyer inspection procedures for wood handling, carbon verification and emissions testing. We've pioneered a gas collection system to track gas offtake from the biomass. This includes monitoring the gas and moisture levels within the clay cap. 

With our sophisticated gas collection system, we can see in real time how much emissions are being sequestered, resulting in better air quality for the community. 

Second, this brings jobs to the economy. Hardin County, Texas is an underdeveloped area in East Texas. By having a big operation like CSI, we ensure the community has steady, old-fashioned green jobs. This in turn will go back into the economy, helping grow an underprivileged area. 

Third, large landowners and creators of wood waste, mostly timber management companies and sawmills, have learned a lot about our solution as we have been educating them for several years. In 2022, we sequestered 1,100 tCO2 net and the CSI-Hardin Project was approved by Puro.earth for Woody Biomass Burial and Terrestrial Storage of Biomass. In 2023, we delivered 5,700 tCO2 net to Puro.earth which is currently under third party audit.

Finally, all biomass buyers are welcome to investigate their buried materials and explore options for its future use, such as feedstocks for BECCS, biochar, and green hydrogen. 

To monitor and control the conditions within the chamber, a PVC gas collection system with sensors is installed. This system will measure temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors, as well as take samples of the soil and air to detect any changes in composition and the presence of hydrocarbons. The initial GCS for Hardin 2023 consists of U-shaped flex PVC which funnels through the wood vault, with openings adjacent to each other coming out of the ground 2' and capped off with a valve. 

Our gas collection system is a simple, low-cost solution: a portable and rechargeable-battery powered section of PVC contains methane, temperature, humidity, pressure, oxygen and CO2 sensors, shown below. Once threaded to the GCS coming out of the ground, the valve is opened, and air floats into the sensor chamber. Air is blown through the U tube to push the column of air which had been beneath the wood vault through the cap.

The result will be a bell curve of data as each sensor reaches a crest and then declining data as the column is "cleaned out.” From this operation, we will be able to measure not just the gas composition and quantity, but where it exists/was created within the vault.

Our GCS is designed not to allow air to escape up to 40 psi. An additional oxidated soil layer is put on the cap to convert stray CH4 emissions to CO2 (please view attached hand drawing.

This wood harvest sequestration project is designed to store carbon in clays by burying wood. The wood would have otherwise been burned to clear the land. The initial project involves 125 loads (3,000t), each with 20 metric tons of wood, traveling 35 miles each way, with an average of 6 miles per gallon. The digging and burial operations use 50 gallons of diesel per day, and operate for 15 days. The mileage is measured by location marked photos at departure and arrival, while the end dump is measured with a commercial scale. The wood is measured for moisture content and carbon content upon
arrival with the JX-30 moisture sensor and spot checked by drying the wood in ovens.

The wood is then buried in an underground clay vault, and a gas collection system is placed therein to measure the decomposition of the biomass material. The project is monitored and reported using a Gas Collection System which works as the ongoing Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system. The system tracks the carbon sequestration results of the project, and assesses the effectiveness of the sequestration efforts.

15- 5 full time, 3 part time, and the others are contractors.

In the mid-2010's, founder Christopher Knop experimented with biomass burial. After a few months, it was clear that the clays were holding in the carbon in the biomass. 

In 2019, Chris began meeting with timber companies and forest owners advocating for biomass burial. Chris founded CSI and continued conversations with scientists about the method. 

In 2020, the company developed a wood vault design and set suitable geotechnical conditions for wood vaulting. 

In 2021, the company purchased two properties where biomass waste is abundant. Operations began with Puro.earth approval in 2022, and in 2023, commercial scale deliveries of CORCs began.

The CSI team is a melting pot of diversity both professionally and politically, as well as in our team's personality. CSI truly welcomes all. 

Professionally, our team consists of lawyers, geologists, engineers, chemists, construction contractors, and mechanics. It is truly diverse. CSI comes together to make the best decisions for the project and the company. The diversity of our team balance's each other out. 

Politically, we are across the spectrum. From liberal to conservative to "establishment" to "woke," it goes to show you can work across the aisle and get along with each other in a productive,comfortable, and harmonious way. 

CSI cares about diversity and inclusion. CSI does not judge on race, orientation, or pedigree, but on heart and personality. CSI is far from perfect, but we strive everyday to make working environments more fair, more just, more moving the conversation forward, and more beneficial to all concerned. 

CSI raises funds through CRS, endowments, family foundations, and friends. 

CSI offers companies tradable carbon credits through an Emissions Trading System (ETS), facilitating the reduction of their CO2 emissions. Our solution is a key driver for companies committed to environmental sustainability.

Costs are the biggest issue with this CDR product. Forest offsets generally sell for less than $20/mtCO2e, but the additionality is questionable at best and the recent forests fires in 2020 (west coast) and 2023 (Canada) show that the failure risk from these types of credits is extremely high. 

While our credit price is currently above $125/mtCO2e, we expect this to fall quickly. For our Hardin project, total costs are well below $100/tCO2e, and we see a pathway to $50/tCO2e with the use of carbon farming, which reduces our most expensive element: transportation.

Our partnerships and relationships with forest owners are key to our future. We have letters of intent with the largest timber owner in Louisiana, the largest sawmills in Alexandria, several forest management companies in East Texas, with the ability to provide us with over 500,000 tCO2 in wood waste every year.