Chevron Corporation (Chevron) has announced a Series C investment in San Jose-based Blue Planet Systems Corporation (Blue Planet), a start-up that manufactures and develops carbonate aggregates and carbon capture technology intended to reduce the carbon intensity of industrial operations.

Chevron Technology Ventures’ ongoing investment in carbon capture and utilisation technologies supports Chevron’s focus on a diverse portfolio of lower-carbon solutions.

In connection with its investment, Chevron and Blue Planet also executed a letter of intent to collaborate on potential pilot projects and commercial development in key geographies, with the goal of jointly advancing lower-carbon opportunities.

Blue Planet creates carbonate-based building aggregate made from flue gas-captured carbon dioxide (CO2). Distinct from some other industrial carbon capture and utilisation technologies, Blue Planet’s process does not require CO2purification and enrichment prior to use which can reduce cost and unit energy consumed during capture.

Founded in 2013, Blue Planet’s technology potentially enables permanent capture of CO2 in building materials at scale, converting CO2 to a lower-carbon product for sale in the growing global market of aggregates.

Barbara Burger, VP of innovation and president of Technology Ventures at Chevron, said that carbon capture, utilisation, and storage, or CCUS, is viewed to be essential to advancing progress toward the global net-zero ambition of the Paris Agreement.

“This investment is made through our Future Energy Fund which focuses on start-ups with lower-carbon technologies that can scale commercially, and we welcome Blue Planet to this portfolio,” she said.

Brent Constantz, founder, CEO, and chief scientist at Blue Planet, added that Chevron is a leader in scouting and identifying innovative and game-changing approaches to lower-carbon intensity.

“The investment may also provide future opportunities to incorporate Blue Planet’s approach into Chevron’s projects,” Mr Constantz said.