Louisiana’s carbon capture efforts are expanding with Heirloom Carbon’s announcement of a new facility capable of removing 17,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
This facility is independent of the Biden administration’s Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub, and the captured carbon has already been purchased by companies like Microsoft and a buyer group called Frontier.
Leveraging Existing Infrastructure and Workforce
Although not federally funded, Heirloom plans to tap into the region’s experienced oil and gas workforce to construct and operate its new facility.
The existing skills in machinery and well management are transferable to the carbon capture and storage processes, and the humid climate is conducive to Heirloom’s limestone-based carbon removal technology.
Scaling Up Carbon Removal Technology
Heirloom’s new plant, scheduled to open in 2026 near Shreveport, Louisiana, will serve as a testing ground for its technology and inform the development of future, larger-scale facilities.
The company’s previous plant, the largest in the US at the time of its opening, has a capacity of 1,000 tons of CO2 removal per year, highlighting the industry’s early stages.
A Plethora of Options and Challenges
Various techniques for removing carbon from the atmosphere are emerging, including biomass burning, mineral weathering, and chemical reactions in seawater.
However, the industry is still in its infancy, with significant challenges remaining in terms of scaling up and reducing costs.
Cost Reduction: A Key Objective
Heirloom aims to achieve a cost of $100 per ton of carbon removed, which is considered a crucial benchmark for the industry.
The company is actively seeking ways to reduce costs, but achieving this target might prove challenging. Climeworks, another company in the field, recently announced a breakthrough that could reduce its costs to between $250 and $350 per ton by 2030.
Industry Outlook
The world will likely need to remove billions of tons of CO2 by mid-century, necessitating significant scaling up and cost reductions in carbon capture technologies.
While challenges remain, the growing interest and investment in carbon removal techniques demonstrate a commitment to addressing climate change and achieving net-zero emissions goals.