An unexpected environmentally friendly technology emerges in the San Joaquin Valley

A California startup called Heirloom Carbon Technologies has developed a unique way to remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in concrete.

Their facility in Tracy uses trays of calcium oxide rock to absorb CO2 as air passes through. The limestone in the rock acts as a sponge and absorbs the CO2 when heated, which is then stored in concrete.

The Tracy facility has the potential to remove 1,000 tons of CO2 per year. While this is a small amount compared to annual greenhouse gas emissions, the goal is to learn and grow for future scalability.

Heirloom aims to reduce costs to $100 per ton of CO2 collected. The facility is powered by renewables and has already secured a contract with Microsoft for the purchase of 315,000 metric tons of CO2 removal.

Heirloom plans to expand to other locations, including a government-backed facility in Louisiana.

Learn more: Sfchronicle.com