United Invests in Heirloom's Carbon Removal Technology
With aviation contributing 2.5% to global CO₂ emissions, the industry faces urgent calls to decarbonise.
To this end, proactive strategies to eliminate carbon emissions from the atmosphere are more crucial than ever.
Stepping up to this challenge, United Airlines Ventures (UAV) through its UAV Sustainable Flight Fund (UAVSFF), is pouring resources into carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology.
A notable step in this direction is their acquisition aimed at offsetting 500,000 tons of CO₂, executed in partnership with Heirloom, a leader in direct air capture (DAC) technology.
The UAVSFF and Heirloom alliance
This collaboration integrates Heirloom's effective CDR technology into UAV's comprehensive decarbonisation plan.
Not only has UAV secured rights to purchase significant amounts of CDR, but this hefty acquisition will support sustainable aviation fuel production or be stored permanently underground.
Heirloom's scalable solution enhances limestone's natural propensity to sequester CO₂ directly from the air, establishing it as one of the most cost-effective methods in carbon removal.
"We are incredibly proud to welcome the United Sustainable Flight Fund as an investor and to work with them to scale our direct air capture (DAC) technology," says Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom.
"By utilising 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."
Marking UAV’s third investment into carbon capture, this is the fund's first foray into supporting a commercial DAC technology entity.
DAC serves an essential role differing from point source capture as it extracts CO₂ directly from the atmosphere rather than at the source of emission.
The UAVSFF represents a groundbreaking investment initiative, rallying diverse industry leaders to support startups focused on pioneering greener air travel solutions.
With more than $200m pledged, notable contributors include:
- Air Canada
- Air New Zealand
- Aircastle (a Marubeni & Mizuho Leasing Company)
- American Express Global Business Travel
- Aviation Capital Group
- Boeing
- Boston Consulting Group
- Embraer
- GE Aerospace
- Groupe ADP
- Hawaiian Airlines
- HIS
- Honeywell
- JetBlue Ventures
- Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking
- Safran Corporate Ventures
- Technip Energies.
About UAV
UAV, recognised as a major player in global aviation, is also deepening its involvement in various Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production technologies.
UAV is also investing in multiple SAF production methods, including:
- Algae-based fuel (Viridos)
- Ethanol-based fuel (Blue Blade Energy)
- Garbage-to-fuel conversion (Fulcrum BioEnergy)
- Power-to-liquid fuel derived from green hydrogen
- Captured CO₂ (Dimensional Energy).
"Carbon capture is one of our country's fastest-growing, energy-enabling pathways," explains Andrew Chang, Managing Director of UAV.
"At UAV, our primary focus is finding solutions for decarbonisation that are profitable. Heirloom's technology aligns directly with this objective, offering a scalable and commercially viable approach and complements United's commitment to net zero by 2050."
Further, UAV supports the development of electric aircraft, with investments in entities like Heart Aerospace, which is expected to introduce regional electric flights before 2030.
Committed to a sustainable future, UAV aims for net zero emissions by 2050 and is pioneering efforts to replace at least 5% of traditional jet fuel with SAF by 2030, alongside investments in zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for regional aircraft.
Heirloom’s innovative carbon solutions
Founded in 2020, Heirloom has rapidly positioned itself at the forefront of the CDR industry.
The company's pioneering DAC technology utilises limestone to capture atmospheric CO₂ efficiently and is powered by renewable resources.
Focusing on legitimate emissions reduction, Heirloom declines investments from oil majors and ensures that the captured CO₂ is not utilised for fossil fuel extraction.
Its operations include a commercial DAC facility in Tracy, California and an upcoming project in Louisiana set to significantly boost its capacity.
With a roster of prestigious clients like Microsoft, Stripe, Meta and H&M Group, and bolstered by funding from UAV and Mitsubishi Corporation, Heirloom is set to disrupt traditional carbon capture methodologies and pave the way for a cleaner environment.
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