Gigablue and Planetary Technologies ocean carbon credits
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
- Researchers Thomas Kiørboe, Technical University of Denmark: “Typical phytoplankton do not grow on surfaces.” Fortune (via AP)
- Company or project Gigablue: “We are not fertilizing the ocean.” Fortune (via AP)
Two ocean carbon-removal companies sold credits in 2025: Gigablue (Israel) 200,000 credits to an aviation-focused buyer, and Planetary Technologies (Canada) credits to technology companies and an airline. A Danish scientist questioned Gigablue's method; the company said it was not fertilising the ocean.
Price undisclosed. Planetary Technologies' Frontier offtake: 115,211 credits for $31.3m, deliveries 2026–2030 (estimate: about $271 per credit).
Status As of the latest sources in the record (AP, 3 July 2025, and the Frontier schedule to 2030): Gigablue's 200,000-credit sale had been reported with verification still based on a draft methodology; Planetary Technologies had 625.6 credits issued and a Frontier offtake with deliveries scheduled for 2026–2030.
- Gigablue — Sold 200,000 credits; price undisclosed Fortune (via AP)
- Planetary Technologies — Frontier offtake of 115,211 credits for $31.3m, deliveries 2026–2030 Carbon Herald
What happened
Gigablue, an Israeli company with trials in the Mediterranean and off New Zealand, sold 200,000 carbon credits to SkiesFifty, an aviation-focused company. According to CDR.fyi, as reported by the Associated Press on 3 July 2025, it was the largest sale of ocean carbon-dioxide-removal credits. The price was not disclosed.
Gigablue described the formula of the particles it uses as proprietary. Verification of the credits is to use a draft Puro.earth methodology that was co-designed with Gigablue. Thomas Kiørboe of the Technical University of Denmark told the AP: “Typical phytoplankton do not grow on surfaces.” Gigablue said: “We are not fertilizing the ocean.”
Planetary Technologies, a company based in Nova Scotia that works on ocean alkalinity enhancement, had 625.6 credits issued through the Isometric registry. The buyers were Stripe, Shopify and British Airways. Carbon Herald reported the issuance as the first ocean alkalinity enhancement credits verified by Isometric. Separately, Planetary signed an offtake agreement with Frontier, a buyers' coalition, for 115,211 credits at $31.3m, with deliveries between 2026 and 2030.
The record also shows Planetary cancelling a trial planned at St Ives, in the United Kingdom, after local opposition, including a protest of about 300 people.
- 2025Planetary Technologies has 625.6 credits issued through Isometric to Stripe, Shopify and British Airways
- 20253 July: AP reports Gigablue's sale of 200,000 credits and scientists' doubts
- 2026Start of the delivery window for Frontier's 115,211-credit offtake from Planetary Technologies (2026–2030)
What was said
“Typical phytoplankton do not grow on surfaces.”
“We are not fertilizing the ocean.”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
“Typical phytoplankton do not grow on surfaces.”
Fortune (via AP)How it looked
Shown
- Sale of 200,000 credits, described as the largest ocean carbon-dioxide-removal saleCDR.fyi, as reported by the AP · Fortune (via AP)
- Planetary's credits presented as the first ocean alkalinity enhancement credits verified by IsometricCarbon Herald (headline) · Carbon Herald
Recorded
- Gigablue's particle formula is described as proprietary; verification is to use a draft Puro.earth methodology co-designed with Gigablue.
- Planetary Technologies: 625.6 credits issued through the Isometric registry to Stripe, Shopify and British Airways.
- Frontier offtake from Planetary: 115,211 credits for $31.3m, with deliveries in 2026–2030.
- Frontier describes itself as a public-benefit limited liability company. Members commit at least $10m and pay an annual fee of 0.5–2%. Frontier negotiates the price, and all members pay the same; supplier review and acceptance of deliveries also sit with Frontier.
- Puro.earth charges its service fee to the supplier, per credit, when the credit is first sold (from October 2024); the per-credit fee falls from €10 to €0.40 across 37 volume tiers, with a fixed €12,000 for up to 1,000 credits.
- Isometric states that it charges only the buyer, a fixed fee that does not depend on the number of credits. An independent assessment of this model was not found.
- Planetary Technologies cancelled a trial planned at St Ives, United Kingdom, after local opposition; a protest of about 300 people is recorded.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- gigablue (July 2025): We are not fertilizing the ocean. · Fortune (via AP)
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
- Disputed How credible is Gigablue's method, and is it ocean fertilisation?
Court
- None on record No court case on record.
Record
- Not disclosed The price of Gigablue's 200,000-credit sale: not disclosed.
- None on record The composition of Gigablue's particles: the formula is described as proprietary.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: a Carbon Pulse headline stating that over 90% of marine carbon-removal credits had yet to be delivered to their buyers. Only the headline was seen; the article text was not accessed.
- Unclear Planetary Technologies' own spending or margin on the Frontier offtake: not stated in the sources.
Did the harm stop?
Not applicable: the sources describe credit sales and verification arrangements and do not report physical harm.
Who paid?
Gigablue: price undisclosed. Planetary Technologies: Frontier's members agreed to pay $31.3m for deliveries scheduled for 2026–2030.
Sources
Company or project
- How to participateFrontier · 2026
Press and investigations
- AP report on Gigablue's 200,000 ocean carbon credits and scientists' doubts (via Fortune)Fortune (via AP) · 2025-07-03
- Planetary issues the first-ever OAE carbon credits verified by IsometricCarbon Herald · undated
Standard-setters and registries
- Puro.earth feesPuro.earth · undated
- Aligning incentivesIsometric · 2023-12-08
Connected cases
- Frontier buyers' club, Microsoft and the Puro.earth / Exomad Green biochar deal Global · 2020–2030
- Planetary Technologies (Company) — here: Credit seller; ocean alkalinity enhancement, Nova Scotia; there: Ocean alkalinity supplier; Frontier offtake
- Frontier (carbon-removal buyers' club) (Association) — here: Buyers' coalition; offtake of 115,211 credits; there: Buyers' club for carbon removal credits
- Isometric (Standard-setter) — here: Registry that issued Planetary's credits; there: Carbon removal registry
- Puro.earth (Standard-setter) — here: Registry whose draft methodology is to be used for Gigablue; there: Registry certifying the Exomad Green biochar credits
- Planetary sold 625.6 ocean carbon credits as LOC-NESS and ExOIS trials proceed Multiple · 2025–2026
- Planetary Technologies (Company) — here: Credit seller; ocean alkalinity enhancement, Nova Scotia; there: Issued the credits
- Frontier (carbon-removal buyers' club) (Association) — here: Buyers' coalition; offtake of 115,211 credits; there: Offtake buyer
- Running Tide ocean carbon removal (Maine/Iceland) Iceland · 2017–2024
- McKinsey advice to COP28 presidency and fossil clients United Arab Emirates · 2011–2025
- Frontier (carbon-removal buyers' club) (Association) — here: Buyers' coalition; offtake of 115,211 credits; there: Carbon-removal buyers' club; McKinsey Sustainability is a founding member