SLB and Northern Lights Joint Venture have partnered with Microsoft to develop cloud-based digital workflows for Northern Lights’ carbon capture and storage (CCS) offerings.
Digitizing carbon capture operations may allow for more accurate tracking and verification of CCS projects from capture point to permanent storage. Such technologies may also help speed up the process of CCS adoption, which is required to meet global emissions reduction targets, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
SLB plans to extend its digital CCS workflows and numerical simulation systems, used to streamline Northern Lights’ operations in 2022, in the initial phases of the collaboration.
“In less than three decades, CCS must scale up by 100-200 times to have the expected impact on global net zero ambitions,” said Trygve Randen, senior vice president of digital products and solutions for SLB. “Digital solutions have a key role to play in enabling the necessary speed and scale for CCS, and we are excited to work closely with Microsoft and the Northern Lights JV to facilitate the complex digitalization of the CCS value chain.”
Microsoft’s Azure platform will contribute to this goal, and the company will work with SLB and Northern Lights to help accelerate the digital infrastructure needed to advance the broader CCS industry.
New Technologies May Help Scale-Up Multiple Aspects of Climate Action
This development follows a trend of using digital technologies to address the speed required to meet ambitious global climate targets.
From emissions measurements to satellite imaging, new climate-related technologies, or green tech, have been found to support a wide range of environmentally beneficial projects. Last month, GE Vernova launched a new software that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help power utilities maximize renewable energy usage. FieldView also recently released a digital tool that allows farmers to evaluate crop protection strategies and improve overall production.
Since so many aspects of carbon emissions tracking require accurate measurement and processing large amounts of information, digital solutions may assist companies like Northern Lights in their efforts to mitigate industrial emissions and accelerate decarbonization.
“Microsoft is thrilled to partner closely with SLB and Northern Lights to drive tangible CO2 reductions at scale in 2024 and beyond,” said Sverre Brandsberg Dahl, chief technology officer for Microsoft Energy and Resources Industry. “We are confident this lighthouse project can help accelerate the CCS industry and the digital infrastructure that is needed to reach global climate goals.”
