ClimeFi, a portfolio manager for durable carbon removals, has announced the first publicly disclosed transaction for carbon removal units aligned with the European Union’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF). The move marks a critical milestone in operationalising the EU’s recently adopted methodologies and establishing the commercial infrastructure required for permanent carbon removals across the continent.
The transaction involves a European-led buyers’ collective, including fintech giant Adyen and exchange operator Nasdaq. These firms will receive CRCF-aligned units from “Beccs Stockholm,” a flagship bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BioCCS) project operated by Stockholm Exergi. The project, which has previously secured support from the EU Innovation Fund, combines high-efficiency renewable heat and power production with the permanent sequestration of carbon dioxide.
ClimeFi established the collective to centralise due diligence and contracting, providing organisations of various sizes access to premium BioCCS removals under standardised terms. The firm will now oversee the project’s progression through the CRCF certification stages to the final issuance and delivery of units.
Paolo Piffaretti, CEO and Co-Founder at ClimeFi, stated: “From structuring the first Article 6.2 transfers in the carbon removal market last year to coordinating the first publicly announced carbon removal CRCF transaction, we are very proud to be shaping policy at the European level. We hope to remain at the forefront of the CRCF market as it continues to develop.”
The deal underscores European leadership in the sector, showcasing BioCCS as a scalable and technologically mature pathway. As voluntary carbon markets begin to converge with compliance systems, the CRCF is expected to play a vital role in integrating corporate climate action with future regulatory frameworks, such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Ella Douglas, Global Sustainability Lead at Adyen, commented: “At Adyen, we focus on initiatives that support catalytic impact in the voluntary carbon removal market. This project does exactly that while also building key market infrastructure in collaboration with the European Commission.”
Anders Egelrud, CEO at Stockholm Exergi, added: “This initiative demonstrates the trust that European buyers have in both the Beccs Stockholm project and the CRCF framework for meeting their own climate ambitions. We believe we are well positioned to be among the first permanent CDR projects to have CRCF units issued.”
