ExxonMobil to invest up to $100 million in US labs for R&D on lower emissions

ExxonMobil will invest up to $100 million (Rs 699 crore) over 10 years to research and develop advanced lower-emissions technologies with the U.S. 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 to commercial scale across the transportation, power generation and industrial sectors.

Darren W. Woods, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil said, “We’re focusing on advancing fundamental science to develop breakthrough solutions that can make a difference on a global basis in emissions reduction. 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.

Vijay Swarup, vice-president of R&D at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company said, “Finding meaningful solutions to address climate change is going to take everyone – governments, companies and academia – working together. 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.”

Martin Keller, director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said, “The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is excited to work with ExxonMobil to develop scalable energy solutions for the future and facilitate research partnerships across the national lab system. Our partnerships with industry, government, academia and other research organisations drive the collaboration and innovation that is integral to revolutionising the global energy landscape. By working side-by-side with ExxonMobil researchers, this partnership provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore new technologies and transform energy through science.”

This collaboration is a recent addition to a series of partnerships ExxonMobil has established for innovative lower-emissions research programs, which includes over 80 universities, five energy centres and multiple private sector partners. The company has spent more than $9 billion (Rs 62,946 crore) since 2000 developing and deploying lower-emissions energy solutions.

Brian Anderson, director at the National Energy Technology Laboratory said, “This opportunity targets research challenges and the development of technology central to our mission and our capabilities. We’re bringing incredible research capability, enhanced by ExxonMobil’s industry expertise and ability to scale-up new technologies globally, which will ultimately benefit consumers in the near term, while also enhancing our nation’s prosperity and energy security.”