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Eric Matzner
CEO Metalplant: Using Plants Mine Nickel while Weathering Rocks to Remove Carbon Dioxide | Fmrly started Project Vesta
Eric Matzner is an entrepreneur and innovator focused on developing technologies to address pressing global challenges, particularly in the areas of climate change mitigation and sustainable resource extraction. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Metalplant, he is at the forefront of a novel approach combining nickel phytomining with enhanced rock weathering to produce nickel and achieve carbon dioxide removal (CDR).12
Career Highlights
Metalplant:: Matzner co-founded Metalplant in mid-2021. The company utilizes a patent-pending technique that combines plant-based nickel mining with enhanced rock weathering to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while producing nickel sustainably.2
Project Vesta:: Prior to Metalplant, Matzner founded Project Vesta, a non-profit organization focused on coastal enhanced weathering for carbon dioxide removal. This project later evolved into the company Vesta.12
Nootroo:: Before his work in the climate space, Matzner was involved in human enhancement and longevity, running a company called Nootroo.2
Climitigation:: Matzner continues his climate activism through his think tank, Climitigation.2
Approach and Philosophy
Matzner is known for his hands-on approach to problem-solving and his focus on accelerating the development of technologies needed to address global challenges. He has been particularly active in the field of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) for the past five years, working to develop scalable solutions that can achieve gigatonne-level carbon removal annually.2
Current Work at Metalplant
At Metalplant, Matzner is leading efforts to create what he calls the world's first "dedicated enhanced weathering commercial farms." The company operates in Albania, leveraging the country's vast olivine resources to implement their innovative technology.1 Metalplant's approach aims to address both the critical need for carbon dioxide removal and the demand for sustainably sourced nickel, which is crucial for the green energy transition.12
Eric Matzner's work exemplifies a multidisciplinary approach to tackling complex environmental and technological challenges, combining expertise in fields such as geology, botany, and climate science to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
Highlights
Metalplant's nickel harvest was featured in the July 13-19, 2024 Print issue of New Scientist magazine: "On a recent afternoon in northern Albania, workers gathered armfuls of freshly cut shrubs covered in yellow flowers, leaving them to dry in the sun.
This was no ordinary harvest, however. The farm is both a mine, growing plants that accumulate nickel metal in their leaves and stems, and a carbon sink, its soil spread with crushed rocks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere...
The idea of mining with plants isn’t new. But Metalplant is combining this “phytomining” with a method of removing CO2 from the atmosphere called enhanced rock weathering, which involves spreading rock dust on fields. This dust can both capture CO2 and replenish the nickel taken up by the plants."
Link to article in comments - Mining Metals with Plants
"Phytomining: How to mine metals from the soil using plants" - Metalplant is excited to have been featured in the Science section of futurezone.at TECHNOLOGY NEWS. (Article in German, link and translated link in comments) " When silicate rock weathers naturally, it removes CO2 from the atmosphere and turns it into bicarbonate . This renders the greenhouse gas harmless. There is a lot of olivine rock in Albania , which is very suitable for the method. "One ton of the rock can remove one ton of CO2. But unfortunately, it also contains nickel," Matzner explains to futurezone. In large quantities, the metal would harm the environment.
"If you apply it in large quantities to a corn field, for example, it will damage plant growth and could enter the food chain," says Matzner. That's why no one has been able to use the promising olivine for CO2 removal so far. But then Matzner and his team [harnessed] the special abilities of the [O. decipiens] , which mines nickel. "
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
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