Saskatchewan's Carbon Gamble Pays Off for Microsoft

North Star Carbon Solutions and Microsoft sign Canada's first Indigenous-owned BECCS offtake deal, 626,000 tonnes over 15 years

15 May 2026

On April 6, 2026, a deal took shape in Saskatchewan that few saw coming, and that many in the carbon removal world had been waiting for. North Star Carbon Solutions LP, a venture majority-held by Meadow Lake Tribal Council, signed a 15-year agreement to supply Microsoft with 626,000 tonnes of durable carbon removal credits. It is believed to be Canada's first Indigenous-owned bioenergy carbon capture and storage project of its kind.

North Star is no ordinary carbon developer. Meadow Lake Tribal Council, a First Nations government representing nine member Nations in northern Saskatchewan, sits at the helm. Its project draws on sustainable waste biomass from the Council's adjacent sawmill, trapping CO₂ through solid sorbent capture systems before permanently storing it in underground geological formations. Net-negative emissions are the outcome, not merely avoided ones.

At full capacity, the plant will generate up to 90,000 tonnes of removal credits annually. Commercial operation is targeted for early 2029, with credits verified under Puro.earth registry standards. Svante, the project's technology partner, is funding the development phase ahead of a final investment decision. During that window, North Star expects to create 50 local jobs and up to 10 permanent roles for Meadow Lake member Nations.

Geopolitical timing works in the project's favor. US federal support for direct air capture has contracted sharply, pushing project developers and buyers northward. Canada's investment tax credit framework and Saskatchewan's proven geological storage credentials have quietly positioned the province as an execution-ready destination for corporate carbon buyers with durable removal targets.

Neither side understated what the deal means. Microsoft's Phillip Goodman said the agreement builds foundational infrastructure for carbon removal in Canada and opens a pathway for future projects. Svante's Scott Gardner called it a landmark, noting that Microsoft's anchor commitment signals to the broader market that Canadian projects can deliver at commercial scale.

Canadian carbon removal is no longer waiting for permission. North Star just showed what getting started looks like.