This week, United Airlines announced a sustainability initiative: investing in Heirloom, a direct air capture (DAC) company. The agreement was made by the United Airlines Ventures (UAV) Sustainable Flight Fund and leverages Heirloom’s quantifiable carbon reduction technology to help the airline reach its decarbonization goals. In addition, the Fund signed an agreement for the option to buy as much as 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR), delivered to assist in the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or held underground permanently.
United aims to have net-zero emissions by 2050
Heirloom uses the power of limestone to capture CO2 from the air, making it one of the most affordable methods of carbon dioxide removal. Heirloom is United’s third carbon capture investment, but it is the sole technology commercializing direct air capture (DAC). That differs point source capture, which collect CO2 from specific sources, like power plants.
Andrew Chang, Head of United Airlines Ventures, said: “Carbon capture is one of our country’s fastest growing, energy enabling pathways. At UAV, our primary focus is finding solutions for decarbonization 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.”
Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom, said: “We are incredibly proud to welcome the United Sustainable Flight Fund as an investor and to work with them to scale our DAC technology. By utilizing DAC as a dual-pronged tool that can both greatly reduce CO2 emission from aviation fuel and remove residual emissions, we are charting a true path to Net Zero aviation.”
