Maersk Drilling has entered an agreement to invest USD 1 million in the California-based company Clean Energy Systems to help develop a new technology called Carbon-Negative Energy, aiming to pave the way for carbon-neutral drilling.
The concept builds on proven technology originally developed for the aerospace industry, which is now being deployed in a process that is expected to result in net-negative carbon emissions.
A full-scale deployment of the Carbon-Negative Energy concept will produce renewable fuel and power, and simultaneously remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The net negative carbon emissions can be converted into carbon credits.
The Carbon-Negative Energy concept is based on using biomass waste as fuel to produce syngas, from which renewable natural gas and hydrogen is separated for sale.
The resulting hydrogen-depleted syngas will then be used to produce electricity with full capture of associated CO2 emissions.
By using fuel that consumes CO2 over its lifetime, combined with safe and permanent CO2 storage, the process results in net-negative emissions, effectively removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
This news follows several steps by the company to reduce environmental footprint. Maersk Drilling has recently joined a consortium to progress a CO2 storage project in Danish jurisdiction, while other solutions include the first-ever rig to operate on shore power and the upgrade of two jack-ups to hybrid, low-emission rigs.
By investing in Clean Energy Systems’ concept, we are helping to bring alive a new technology which can remove CO2 from the atmosphere. We believe the world needs a broad portfolio of technologies and solutions to meet the challenge posed by climate change, and by engaging in this project, we support the development of carbon capture and storage in a way that could allow us to progress towards carbon-neutral drilling,
…says COO Morten Kelstrup of Maersk Drilling.
