Heirloom Opens First Commercial Carbon Capture Plant in the U.S.

Penn spinout Heirloom Carbon Technologies recently opened the first commercial carbon capture plant in the United States.

Heirloom uses a process called direct air capture to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. In its facility, Heirloom will use crushed limestone to capture the carbon dioxide it pulls from the air. The gas will remain sealed permanently in concrete, where it can’t contribute to climate change.

Heirloom is currently selling carbon removal credits to companies paying a premium to offset their own emissions, and has already signed a deal with Microsoft to remove 315,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.