- Carbon Removal at Scale: United’s Sustainable Flight Fund can purchase up to 500,000 tons of CO2 removal through Heirloom’s technology.
- Accelerating Decarbonization: Heirloom’s limestone-based direct air capture (DAC) offers a scalable and cost-effective pathway to net-zero aviation.
- Strategic Growth: The investment aligns with United’s broader goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
United’s Bet on Carbon Capture:
United Airlines’ UAV Sustainable Flight Fund is backing Heirloom, a leader in direct air capture (DAC) technology, to boost its decarbonization strategy. The investment includes the right to purchase up to 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) for sustainable aviation fuel production or underground storage.
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Why It Matters:
Heirloom’s tech harnesses limestone’s natural ability to absorb CO2 from the air, positioning it as a potentially low-cost, scalable solution for carbon removal.
“Carbon capture is one of our country’s fastest growing, energy enabling pathways,” said Andrew Chang, head of United Airlines Ventures. “Heirloom’s technology aligns directly with our objective, offering a scalable and commercially viable approach and complements United’s commitment to net zero by 2050.“
A New Chapter in Carbon Capture:
This marks United’s third carbon capture investment but the first in a company commercializing DAC technology. Unlike point source capture, which extracts CO2 directly from emissions sources, DAC pulls carbon directly from the atmosphere, offering broader environmental impact.
“By utilizing DAC as a dual-pronged tool that can both greatly reduce CO2 emissions from aviation fuel and remove residual emissions, we are charting a true path to Net Zero aviation,” said Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom.
About the UAV Sustainable Flight Fund:
The UAV Sustainable Flight Fund, with over $200 million in investment commitments, is pioneering cross-industry support for startups focused on decarbonizing air travel. Key investors include:
- Airlines: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Ventures
- Corporates: American Express Global Business Travel, Boeing, Google, Honeywell
- Financial Partners: Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, Aviation Capital Group
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