{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6717d40883ac9fccacca0682/697632e7f4b515342e04ffad?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Paul Needham: from solar cells in India to gigantic carbon sponges","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/6717d40883ac9fccacca0682/1769508150099-8c4a7e1f-776a-4b87-9d04-610e49a60946.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>In this episode, we go deep into chemistry and mining with Paul Needham, CEO of ARCA, a company using carbon mineralisation to turn mine waste into giant, permanent carbon sponges. In 2025, Arca signed a 10-year deal with Microsoft to remove 300,000 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere.&nbsp;Certain rocks naturally react with CO₂, pulling it out of the air and locking it away forever as stone. ARCA has found a way to massively accelerate that natural process, transforming mining tailings from an environmental liability into a climate solution.&nbsp;Paul's no stranger to scaling impact: he previously built Simpa Networks, bringing pay-as-you-go solar to hundreds of thousands of people in rural India.&nbsp;In this episode we learn about scaling pay-as-you go solar in India and how carbon mineralisation turns mining waste into carbon removal at scale.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><br></p>","author_name":"Rafi Addlestone and Adam Pike"}