Louisiana Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Initiative

In collaboration with Shell GameChanger and LA.IO, Newlab is launching the Louisiana Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Initiative to work with CDR technology and project developers to evaluate and support pilot and larger-scale deployment opportunities in Louisiana.

The Louisiana CDR Initiative will connect selected technology companies and projects with relevant public- and private-sector stakeholders and help them align infrastructure, funding, permitting, and other factors that may affect project development.

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Apply to explore testing, scaling and potential deployment of your CDR technology in Louisiana.

Background

Newlab, Shell GameChanger, and Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO) are launching the Louisiana CDR Initiative (“Initiative”), a public-private effort intended to position Louisiana as a global leader for CDR technology development and deployment.

Interest from potential buyers and evolving policy frameworks is contributing to the development of the CDR market. The ability for projects to progress and reach Final Investment Decision (FID) with strong project economics depends on local conditions, including siting, permitting, feedstock, power, infrastructure, and the additional requirements applicable to carbon accounting and crediting.

The Initiative aims to demonstrate how Louisiana’s industrial, geological, coastal, and agricultural resources could support selected CDR technology pathways and to identify opportunities and constraints associated with potential deployment. Any project would remain subject to technical validation, commercial evaluation, applicable permitting, and relevant environmental and regulatory requirements.

A Public-Private Framework for CDR Success

Through the Initiative, Newlab is convening a dedicated working group of public sector, academic, and research partners from across Louisiana to translate project needs to local deployment strategies. Through a series of facilitated workshops and one-on-one meetings with selected companies, the group will directly support selected project developers on siting, permitting, feedstock, and infrastructure.

The working group will leverage this process to inform long-term programmatic targets for carbon removal in Louisiana. Selected companies will therefore help inform and shape the conditions for scalable commercial carbon removal in Louisiana.

The Initiative is intended to showcase how coordination among participating stakeholders can help selected developers evaluate and mitigate project execution risks, and evaluate CDR commercial deployment considerations in Louisiana.

Who Should Apply

CDR Technology Pathways of Interest

We welcome applications from technology companies, project developers, and startups working across the CDR value chain, including (but not limited to):

• Direct Air Capture (DAC) and hybrid carbon removal technologies
• Biomass-based carbon removal (BECCS, Biochar, Bio-oil and Biomass Storage)
• Marine CDR (mCDR) and coastal carbon management platforms
• Mineralization and Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) technologies
• Advanced sensing, measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems

Applicants must exhibit a viable path to deployment within Louisiana and a dedicated willingness to collaborate onsite-specific deployment scenarios.

Readiness and Scale

We are seeking high-durability CDR technologies and projects across three distinct commercial and technical readiness levels. Applicants should state their next deployment milestone, measured in annual tonnes of CO2 removed, to inform how Newlab, Shell GameChanger and LA.IO can best align support and resources.

Early Technology De-Risking (Pilot-Stage)

• Indicative scale for next deployment milestone: up to 1,000 tpa CO₂
• Focus: Shorter-cycle, lower-capital pilot projects featuring novel, high-upside approaches with strong technical differentiation. These deployments establish initial technical credibility, generate early localized proof points, and anchor promising solutions within Louisiana's operating context to inform long-term deployment potential.

Advanced Technology De-Risking (Demonstration-Stage)

• Indicative scale for next deployment milestone: ~1,000 to 10,000 tpa CO₂
• Focus: Mid-scale demonstration projects that have established core technical feasibility but require localized performance, integration, and cost evidence under Louisiana-specific conditions. Companies in this category will collaborate with Newlab to bridge technical validation and commercial execution, evaluating how technology performance translates locally to inform future siting, scaling, and integration decisions.

Commercial De-Risking (Deployment-Ready or Near-Commercial)

• Indicative scale for next deployment milestone: ~10,000 to 100,000+ tpa CO₂
• Focus: Commercially mature CDR technologies with demonstrated buyer demand and high execution potential in Louisiana. This category targets companies actively looking for commercial-scale project deployment opportunities that are aiming to validate commercial deployability, de-risk execution conditions (such as feedstock, siting, permitting, and grid/storage integration), and demonstrate Louisiana’s end-to-end capability to host and scale CDR at scale.

Program Support

Selected participants will receive 6 months of comprehensive support to de-risk project execution and accelerate commercialization:

• Pilot Design & Execution Support: Work directly with Newlab's commercialization and strategic advisory teams to design and execute a deployment plan in Louisiana, with dedicated access to Newlab's New Orleans hub and a global network of advisors, investors and industry partners.
• Working Group Access: Structured engagement with the Initiative's working group of public sector, academic, research, and industry partners to address siting, permitting, biomass feedstock assessments, CO₂ transport and storage integration, and offtake.
• Grant Funding & Capital Alignment: Direct grant funding may be awarded to selected companies based on proposed project expenditures focused on deployments within Louisiana. Newlab, LA.IO, and project partners may additionally support the alignment of private investment against commercialization milestones on the path to FID.

Key Dates

• Open Call Launch: October 16, 2026
• Application Deadline: November 13, 2026
  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline on November 13, 2026. A select group of startups will advance to an additional stage focused on developing project proposals and deployment requirements until project selection in December 2026.
• Technology / Project Selection: December 2026

Click here to apply.

About Shell GameChanger

Shell GameChanger is Shell’s innovation program for early-stage technologies and start-up ventures. The program can provide funding and shared expertise to help innovators develop promising ideas and prototypes, accelerating their path toward investable maturity and potential commercial scale.

About LA.IO

Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO), a division of Louisiana Economic Development (LED), is the state’s statewide innovation initiative, connecting entrepreneurs, startups, investors and partners with the capital, coaching, networks and resources needed to build high-growth companies and strengthen Louisiana's innovation economy. Through storytelling and ecosystem development, LA.IO showcases Louisiana's innovation ecosystem and helps position the state as a global leader in innovation.

About Newlab

Newlab is a venture platform for critical technology startups transforming core industrial sectors. We help startups commercialize faster by aligning Infrastructure, Commercialization Projects, and Capital in locations with strategic advantages. Newlab operates 5 innovation hubs globally and manages active pilot programming in additional regions. To date, Newlab has partnered with over 60 industry and government leaders and has supported its 400+ member companies in raising over $5B from venture capital firms, with over $2.3B of successful exits and a collective valuation of over $17B.