United Airlines has invested in direct air capture company Heirloom through its UAV sustainable flight fund. United is adding Heirloom's measurable, quantifiable carbon reduction technology to its portfolio of decarbonisation strategies.
The fund also entered in an agreement for the right to purchase up to 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide removal to be delivered for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or to be stored permanently underground.
United said Heirloom's technology is “potentially one of the lowest cost pathways” for removing carbon dioxide.
"Carbon capture is one of our country's fastest growing, energy enabling pathways," said Andrew Chang, head of United Airlines Ventures. "At UAV, our primary focus is finding solutions for decarbonisation 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."
Heirloom is United's third carbon capture investment. Direct air capture is able to remove atmospheric CO2 as opposed to point source capture, which captures CO2 from a specific emitting source, such as a power plant.