The first commercial facility in the US capable of sucking carbon from the air just went into operation in California

The first commercial facility in the US capable of sucking carbon from the air just went into operation in California.

California-based climate technology company Heirloom has unveiled what it claims is the first commercial direct air capture (DAC) plant in the US. This facility, located in Tracy, California, uses crushed limestone to capture 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The plant is part of Heirloom's effort to scale up carbon removal technologies and reduce costs. The current industry prices for carbon removal by direct air capture range from $600 to $1,000 per ton. The US government aims to achieve a cost of $100 per ton in about a decade.

The Department of Energy is investing billions in grants to develop direct air capture demonstration hubs, with Heirloom being one of the recipients. Occidental Petroleum, another grant winner, plans to combine acquired DAC technology with its expertise in managing resources underground.

BlackRock recently announced a $550 million investment in Occidental's West Texas plant.