SHREVEPORT, La. – Louisiana Economic Development said that Heirloom Carbon Technologies Inc. is moving forward with the first phase of a decarbonization project that combines public and private investment to create two direct air capture (DAC) facilities at the Port of Caddo-Bossier.
The California-based company plans to invest $475 million to establish its first DAC facility in Louisiana and second in North America. Heirloom expects to create 81 direct new permanent jobs with an average annual salary of more than $56,000.
The potential second facility would be built as part of Project Cypress, which would use up to $550 million of U.S Department of Energy (DOE) funding to create a Direct Air Capture hub.
“Louisiana is well positioned to become America’s leader in safely storing carbon dioxide,” Gov. Jeff Landry said in an LED press release. “Heirloom’s expansion into the Port of Caddo-Bossier means even more growth and more jobs for our State and is another example of how we are leading the race to drive the nation’s energy future. The expansion of Project Cypress Direct Air Capture Hub across the State represents the best of Louisiana – cutting-edge technology at the forefront of the energy economy, powered by innovation and a broad base of highly skilled workers.”
The first facility is expected to begin construction by the end of the year. The company estimates it will remove around 17,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually beginning in 2026.
“Heirloom’s selection of the Port of Caddo-Bossier leverages our state’s logistical advantages, established infrastructure and upskilled workforce, underscoring Louisiana’s continued role as a leader in the energy and manufacturing sectors,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “I welcome Heirloom to Louisiana and look forward to years of partnership and prosperity that will result in opportunities for ever-growing wages in the Northwest Region.”
At the end of 2023, Heirloom began operations in California, shortly after signing a commercial-scale CO2 removal agreement with Microsoft. The company has also signed deals to provide carbon removal to Meta, Shopify, JPMorgan, H&M, Autodesk and others.
“Louisiana is the energy capital of the United States and has played a vital role in American energy security,” Heirloom Carbon Technologies CEO Shashank Samala said. “With these two facilities in northwest Louisiana, Heirloom is continuing its rapid progress in building one of the world’s most affordable carbon removal solutions with the ability to scale to remove billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.”
Heirloom uses limestone to capture CO2 directly from the air. Limestone is made up of calcium oxide (CaO) and CO2. When CO2 is removed from the limestone, the remaining calcium oxide is hydrated with water to form lime. Lime is “thirsty” for CO2 because it wants to return to a natural limestone state and acts like a sponge – pulling CO2 from the atmosphere. Heirloom’s technology accelerates this natural property of limestone, reducing the time it takes to absorb CO2 from years to less than three days. Once the CO2 is absorbed, it is extracted from the limestone material using a renewable energy-powered kiln and stored permanently underground.
“Shreveport is proud to play host to one of the most promising emerging new energy industries, which will generate significant jobs and investment in our local economy,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said. “To see a new industry leader like Heirloom commit to not one but two facilities at the Port of Caddo-Bossier is a win for jobs, economic competitiveness, and innovative opportunities for Shreveport and a milestone for continued growth for our city.”
Heirloom plans to partner with CapturePoint, a carbon management company, to store the CO2 captured from these facilities in Class VI underground wells at locations to be determined.
The State of Louisiana is offering a $3 million performance-based grant for site infrastructure improvements. The company may qualify for additional incentives with a potential value of up to $7.8 million over 10 years if payroll and employment targets are met.
