Heirloom Carbon Technologies, Inc. announced it 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.
During the first phase, the 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. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 188 indirect new jobs, for a total of 269 potential new jobs in the Northwest Region. The company also estimates that the project will support more than 1,000 construction jobs.
The anticipated second facility would be built as part of Project Cypress, which would utilize up to $550 million of U.S Department of Energy (DOE) funding to create one of the world’s largest Direct Air Capture hubs in Louisiana.
“Louisiana is well positioned to become America’s leader in safely storing carbon dioxide,” Gov. Jeff Landry said. “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 CO2 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 at North America’s first commercial DAC facility in California, shortly after signing one of the largest commercial-scale CO2 removal agreements to date 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’s technology enhances the power of limestone, the world’s second most abundant mineral, 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.
“We’re excited to welcome Heirloom, the American leader in Direct Air Capture, to the Port of Caddo-Bossier,” Caddo-Bossier Port Commission President Bill Altimus said. “The Port has a long history of birthing innovative industrial technologies, and we are proud to support rapidly growing DAC technology that the Port is uniquely positioned to scale due to our existing carbon management infrastructure and skilled local workforce.”
To help support this economic growth, the State of Louisiana is offering a $3 million performance-based grant for site infrastructure improvements. The company may qualify for additional State incentives with a potential value of up to $7.8 million over 10 years if payroll and employment targets are met.
“Innovation is the heartbeat of progress, and we proudly support this groundbreaking technology Heirloom is bringing to north Louisiana,” North Louisiana Economic Partnership President and CEO Justyn Dixon said. “It is great seeing companies take advantage of the investments made by the Port of Caddo-Bossier, and it reminds us of the urgent need to continue investing for tomorrow’s opportunities. We’re enthusiastic about the momentum in northwest Louisiana, driven by the adoption of innovative solutions.”