As technologies mature, companies are moving from pilots to large-scale deployment—signaling a decisive shift from innovation to implementation. In just the past month, Net Zero Insights has tracked over 25 new commercial agreements.
These deals span sectors and geographies—from sustainable aviation fuel and carbon removal to battery storage and industrial decarbonization.
They offer a clear snapshot of how the energy and climate transition is unfolding in real-time.
Here are four signals from the frontline:
1. Carbon Removal moves from Pilots to Portfolios
A wave of high-volume carbon removal deals is redefining what commercial viability looks like. Microsoft’s 20-year offtake with BTG Pactual for 8 million tonnes of nature-based removal is the largest known carbon removal transaction to date, supporting reforestation efforts across Brazil and Uruguay.
At the same time, companies like Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Nordea are locking in credits from frontier technologies—Direct Ocean Capture (Captura) and BECCS (Inherit Carbon)—with a focus on high-integrity and regional supply.
What it means: Carbon removal is no longer experimental. Buyers are starting to build long-term portfolios and diversify across technologies and geographies.
2. Grid Flexibility and Storage are becoming critical infrastructure
From San Diego to Spain to New South Wales, battery storage and grid intelligence are attracting significant investment. The Stoney Creek project in Australia secured a 14-year, A$350M agreement for 1 GWh of 8-hour storage—highlighting the need for long-duration systems. In Spain, Renewco and Atlantica are developing 2.2 GW of standalone storage in anticipation of auction-led acceleration.
On the grid optimization front, partnerships like Piclo and Plexigrid (AI + marketplaces) and Tauron with GRADIS (AI-powered lighting systems) signal a broader push toward digitized, flexible grid infrastructure.
What it means: As renewable penetration increases, commercial readiness for grid balancing and flexibility is becoming national priorities.
3. Industrial Decarbonization gets creative—and collaborative
Heavy industry and manufacturing are tapping new technologies and partnerships to drive emissions cuts. From carbon-negative cement (National Cement + Carbon TerraVault) to AI-powered efficiency upgrades in cement and manufacturing (Cemex + Sodex, Sanmina + Bl!xt), the innovation focus is shifting beyond energy inputs to include process optimization and hardware retrofits.
Notably, the Liverpool FC–1PointFive deal brings DAC into consumer product supply chains, showing how carbon removal can be used to neutralize Scope 3 emissions at the product level.
What it means: Industrial players are piloting bold, tech-enabled pathways to decarbonization —often in collaboration with scaling Climate Tech companies.
4. Hydrogen and SAF begin to scale with long-term commitments
The hydrogen economy is gaining momentum, not through hype but through serious infrastructure buildout. RWE’s 15-year green hydrogen offtake to TotalEnergies (starting in 2030) is a standout—aiming to decarbonize a key refinery with 30,000 tons per year of green H₂. In parallel, partnerships like Electric Hydrogen + Titan are focused on reducing electrolyzer costs through modular manufacturing in Texas.
Meanwhile, Farnborough Airport’s agreement with Hydrogen Refinery to supply 10,000 tonnes of SAF annually shows how aviation is racing ahead of policy mandates, committing to 20% SAF blending by 2028.
What it means: Long-term offtakes are becoming the catalyst for infrastructure investment across clean fuels—and the scale is finally catching up.
Commercial agreements are some of the clearest signals of momentum in Climate Tech. They show where capital is converting into execution—what’s getting built, adopted, and scaled. Net Zero Insights tracks these agreements in real time to help you understand market traction, benchmark demand, and uncover emerging opportunities.
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