Key Takeaways
- UNDO has co-authored a paper published by Cambridge University Press introducing SAT-C, a patent-pending porewater extraction technique for year-round enhanced rock weathering measurement.
- SAT-C combines intact soil core collection, controlled saturation with deionised water, and centrifugation to recover porewater regardless of ambient soil moisture.
- McLaren Racing Accelerator engineers are collaborating with UNDO on a battery-powered SAT-C soil auger that has reduced sampling time by 70% and cut associated emissions by 90%.
- Validation at scale in UNDO's Canadian field trials is ongoing, with results due at Goldschmidt in Montreal in July 2026.
- SAT-C also has potential applications in agricultural soil monitoring, land restoration, and environmental remediation beyond enhanced rock weathering.
UNDO Publishes SAT-C Research to Address Rock Weathering Measurement Gap
Carbon removal company UNDO has published a new research paper co-authored with scientists from Newcastle University and The James Hutton Institute, introducing its patent-pending SAT-C (SATuration-Centrifugation) measurement technique. Published by Cambridge University Press, the paper addresses a core barrier to scaling enhanced rock weathering as a carbon removal pathway: the inability to reliably extract porewater data during dry conditions.
Traditional porewater extraction relies on natural soil moisture, restricting data collection in dry periods and creating gaps in long-term monitoring. As drought conditions become more frequent, this limitation constrains carbon credit quality and project financing. SAT-C resolves this by saturating intact soil cores with deionised water before centrifugation, producing continuous Monitoring, Reporting and Verification data across climates and seasons.
“Without tackling the measurement bottleneck, enhanced rock weathering will not become the climate tool our planet needs it to be,” said Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDO. “SAT-C is the critical unlock that will make enhanced rock weathering more credible, auditable and financially viable over time.”
McLaren Racing Engineers Accelerate SAT-C Field Equipment
UNDO is collaborating with McLaren Racing's Accelerator programme to prototype a battery-powered SAT-C soil auger for year-round field deployment. The latest version uses soil friction to reach depths of up to 30cm in dry and compact soils while preserving soil structure. The prototype has reduced soil sampling time by 70% and cut associated emissions by 90% compared with earlier versions.
“I'm proud that through collaboration with our partners, like UNDO, we can demonstrate the power of sport to inspire meaningful change away from the track,” said Kim Wilson, Director of Sustainability at McLaren Racing.
Validation Timeline and Broader Agricultural Applications
Validation at scale is underway in UNDO's Canadian field trials, with results due at Goldschmidt in Montreal in July 2026. UNDO notes SAT-C's potential relevance extends beyond enhanced rock weathering to agricultural soil monitoring, land restoration, and environmental remediation where seasonal drying creates similar measurement gaps.
