ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies are the oil giants in the past week to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore industrial carbon capture and storage (CCS). They are teaming up with industrial companies Air Liquide, Borealis, and Yara International to look into CCS for their facilities in Normandy, France.
The initiative aims at reducing CO2 emissions from the French industrial hub by up to 3 million tons per year by 2030. That is the equivalent of taking more than 1 million cars off the road.
The companies taking part in the project will initially study the technical and economical feasibility of CCS in the region. The joint venture will also seek funding from European, French and regional schemes as well as other companies willing to join the alliance.
“We are pleased to collaborate on a joint study to assess the feasibility of the deployment of CCS in the Axe Seine/Normandy area, one of the most important technologies required to achieve society’s climate goals,” said the president of ExxonMobil’s activities in France, Charles Amyot.
Carbon Capture And Storage Supports Companies’ Goals
As per Air Liquide – the world leader in gas services and technologies, its input is to bring its “unique expertise” in carbon capture and liquefaction technologies to the alliance. The company’s Cryocap technology that it has been using at its plant in Port Jerome, Normandy, has succeeded in capturing up to 90% of the CO2 emissions.
Yara’s goal on the other side is to decarbonize its site in Normandy to help accomplish its target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. According to the president of the chemical company, the decarbonization of the site in Normandy would allow it to keep developing innovative applications for its industrial customers and thus have a bigger more significant impact on society.
TotalEnergies is also expanding its ambitions to embrace sustainable technologies. The oil major is deepening its strategic partnership with Hyzon Motors to make it easier for fleet owners to transition to renewable hydrogen fuel. The company aims to combine its existing infrastructure with Hyzon’s technology.
Exxon’s carbon capture initiatives are also piling up. The oil major recently announced it’s joining the Acorn project in Scottland and the Scottish group of industry, government, and academic experts unified to reducing carbon emissions from industrial facilities in the region.
Carbon capture and storage are turning into the technology-to-go for major industrial players. Carbon capture technology along with hydrogen fuel could become one of the fastest developing applications for companies willing to eliminate their excess CO2 emissions.
