Three companies joined forces to achieve a new milestone in direct air capture and carbon storage. The first step in this approach CO2 is captured from the atmosphere. Heirloom used its Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, followed by CarbonCure injecting the CO2 into recycled water utilizing its Reclaimed Water Tech. That process was carried out at a Central Concrete facility from where batches of concrete were distributed to clients in the Bay Area.
CarbonCure’s CEO Robert Niven commented on the achievement by saying: “This demonstration project is a global milestone for carbon removal technology that confirms concrete’s enormous potential as a climate solution that can permanently store carbon in our most essential infrastructure – from roads and runways to hospitals and housing. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Heirloom and Central Concrete on this groundbreaking world first.”
Heirloom’s approach to DAC reliest on heat. Crushed limestone is heated, so that the naturally absorbed CO2 is released. It’s then placed in stacks of trays and exposed to the atmosphere where it begins a new absorption cycle, which usually lasts three days and can result in capturing carbon dioxide equal to 50% of its weight.
Relevant: Carbfix And Heirloom Receive XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone Award
CarbonCure’s technology involves the mixing of carbon dioxide with concrete ingredients which mineralizes and makes the concrete stronger. This reduces the need for cement, which is the most carbon-intensive building block of concrete.
“To remove a billion tons from the air we need in the order of mid-hundreds of billions of dollars,” said Heirloom CEO Shashank Samala. He also shared that he expects funds for the scaling of the carbon industry to come from investors and companies that finance renewables, construction and infrastructure.
Read more: CarbonCure And Chart Industries Team Up On CO2 Transport And Storage
