The carbon-removal market is beginning to move from experimentation to procurement, and Whirlpool Corporation is adding enhanced rock weathering to that transition. The home-appliance major has selected InPlanet, a pioneer in enhanced rock weathering (ERW), for a diversified carbon-removal portfolio structured by ClimeFi. The agreement includes a firm offtake for carbon removals scheduled for delivery in 2030, alongside standalone options that reserve access to additional volumes as Whirlpool develops its longer-term climate strategy.
The deal also has a distinctly local dimension. Whirlpool has operated in Brazil for more than seven decades, while InPlanet’s ERW projects are designed to deploy carbon-removal technology directly on Brazilian agricultural land.
Carbon Removal Meets Agricultural Productivity
InPlanet’s approach uses finely crushed basalt, sourced as a byproduct from certified mining operations, and applies it to farmland. As the rock weathers, it removes atmospheric carbon while releasing minerals that can replenish nutrients in depleted soils. InPlanet says treated fields have recorded measurable improvements in soil fertility, alongside reduced reliance on synthetic fertilisers and limestone.
Brazil provides an important operating advantage. Its warm and humid climate can accelerate the weathering process to up to 10 times the rate observed in temperate regions, potentially improving the economics and scalability of ERW projects. That combination gives the technology a proposition that extends beyond carbon removal: the same intervention is intended to generate an agricultural benefit while permanently storing atmospheric carbon.
“Two years ago we were explaining why enhanced rock weathering works. Today buyers are placing it in diversified portfolios on the same terms as every other durable pathway,” said Felix Harteneck, Founder & CEO of InPlanet.
“Each new buyer moves ERW further from novelty and closer to standard procurement. Whirlpool Corporation is committing to that in a country where it manufactures, employs people, and sells its products, which is what lets us bring rock powder to more farmers and remove more carbon.”
A 2030 Offtake Creates a Scaling Signal
The structure of the agreement is as important as the volume itself. The firm offtake gives Whirlpool committed access to carbon removals for delivery in 2030, while giving InPlanet greater revenue visibility against which it can plan investment and expand its operations across Brazilian farmland. The additional options provide flexibility for Whirlpool to increase purchases as its carbon-removal requirements evolve.
For an emerging carbon-removal pathway, that combination addresses a central commercial challenge: developers need predictable future demand to finance infrastructure and scale projects, while corporate buyers want flexibility as technologies, standards and climate strategies mature. The agreement effectively bridges those two requirements — committed demand for the developer and optionality for the buyer.
“We are thrilled to be able to support projects that share our core values and ambition to improve life across communities where we do business around the world,” said Samantha Truesdell, Enterprise Sustainability Manager at Whirlpool Corporation.
ERW Moves Deeper Into Carbon Markets
The credits under the agreement will be issued under Isometric’s Enhanced Weathering Protocol and publicly listed on the Isometric Registry. Anonymised project data will also be shared through Cascade Climate’s ERW Data Quarry. The transaction builds on an earlier milestone for InPlanet. In December 2024, the company delivered what it described as the world’s first independently verified ERW carbon-removal credits in a transaction facilitated by ClimeFi. The credits subsequently received an “A” rating from BeZero Carbon.
The significance of Whirlpool’s commitment lies in what it says about the market’s direction. Enhanced rock weathering still occupies a relatively young segment of the carbon-removal industry, but corporate procurement is beginning to create a pathway from demonstration projects to larger-scale deployment. By combining agricultural land, permanent carbon removal and an established corporate buyer, the InPlanet-Whirlpool agreement illustrates how ERW could increasingly compete for a place within diversified corporate carbon-removal portfolios.
