Calix deepens involvement in direct carbon capture

Low carbon industrial technology developer Calix has deepened its involvement in Direct Air Capture I(DAC) of carbon dioxide, signing a global licence agreement for its technology.

Calix’s subsidiary Leilac will work exclusively with Heirloon Carbon Technologies in DAC applications, with Leilac’s technology to be used in all future Heirloom DAC facilities.

Leilac’s externally heated calcination technology separates CO2 from limestone to produce decarbonised lime, with the same process used to manufacture low carbon cement as well as process lithium ores.

Heirloom’s DAC technology uses lime in a novel carbonisation process to directly capture CO2 from the air and form limestone.

Calix CEO Phil Hodgson said: “Our partnership with Heirloom creates the opportunity to apply the Leilac technology into a new and rapidly developing market.

“It is also an example of our commercialisation strategy in action, with partnerships and licensing arrangements enabling our core technology platform technology to be simultaneously applied to multiple large addressable markets.”

Under the terms of the agreement Leilac will receive a royalty of greater than $3/ tonne of CO2 captured, or 3.5 percent of the prevailing CO2 price for lime decarbonisation.

Heirloom will also contribute $3 million towards Calix’s DAC and lime-related R&D.

Investors backing Heirloom, which has a carbon dioxide removal with Microsoft along others, include the Bill Gates-backed Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital and Microsoft.

The company’s flagship Project Cypress in Louisiana, USA, aims to capture more than one million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year.

The two companies have been developing their collaboration through work at Calix’s flash calciner and electrically heated kiln pilot plant at Bacchus Marsh, Victoria (pictured).

Leilac CEO Daniel Rennie said: “These agreements establish the collaborative foundation for the combination of two highly complementary technologies.

“Together we have the potential to deliver a significant impact on removing legacy emissions.”

Further reading:
Calix low emissions lime technology in UK boost
Calix and Pilbara Minerals advance lithium processing technologies
Browse @AuManufacturing’s coverage of Calix here.

Picture: The Calix flash calciner and electric pilot scale plant, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria