Research collaboration to bring lower-emissions tech to commercial scale

ExxonMobil has unveiled plans to invest up to $100mn over 10 years to research and develop advanced lower-emissions technologies with the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory. The agreement – among the largest between the department’s laboratories and the private sector – will support research and collaboration into ways to bring biofuels and carbon capture and storage (CCS) to commercial scale across the transportation, power generation and industrial sectors.

‘We’re focusing on advancing fundamental science to develop breakthrough solutions that can make a difference on a global basis in emissions reduction,’ says Darren W Woods, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil. ‘We’re doing that with our in-house scientists and with corporate partners, through relationships with 80 universities and now with the intellectual and computing capacity of the renowned national labs.’

The partnership will work to develop technologies related to energy efficiency and greenhouse gas mitigation. The joint research will also focus on reducing emissions from fuels and petrochemicals production. The agreement will stimulate collaborative projects between ExxonMobil and the two laboratories, and facilitate work with other national laboratories, such as the Idaho National Lab.

‘Finding meaningful solutions to address climate change is going to take everyone – governments, companies and academia – working together,’ comments Vijay Swarup, Vice President of R&D at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. ‘This agreement will help us advance fundamental science and demonstrate scale. This is critical because it will give us a better understanding of how to progress technologies so they can be applied globally.’

Meanwhile, Martin Keller, Director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, says: ‘Our partnerships with industry, government, academia and other research organisations drive the collaboration and innovation that is integral to revolutionising the global energy landscape.’