On 16 July 2021, ExxonMobil signed a Memorandum of Understanding to participate in the Acorn carbon capture and storage project (CCS) in Scotland. The project aims to capture and store approximately 5-6 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030 from gas terminals at the St Fergus complex at Peterhead, Scotland, which includes ExxonMobil’s joint venture gas terminal.

The Acorn Project has the potential to provide more than half of the 10 million tonnes per year of CO2 storage the UK Government is targeting, and when expanded has the potential to store more than 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year by the mid-2030s.

Pale Blue Dot Energy is leading the project and is working with the support and funding of the UK and EU Government and industry partners Harbour Energy and Shell.

“ExxonMobil has more than 30 years’ experience in CCS technology and is advancing plans for multiple new CCS opportunities around the world,” said Joe Blommaert, president of Low Carbon Solutions at ExxonMobil.

“We are pleased to support the Acorn Project in the deployment of CCS, one of the most important technologies required to achieve society’s climate goals.”

ExxonMobil also recently joined NECCUS, an alliance of industry, government and academic experts committed to reducing carbon emissions from industrial facilities in Scotland.

ExxonMobil’s membership will help the alliance explore the potential of technology-driven solutions to reduce emissions by drawing on the company’s extensive global experience with carbon capture and storage.

NECCUS members include the Scottish Government, four leading Scottish universities and several industry partners.

“Our membership in NECCUS and our involvement with Acorn underscores our commitment to addressing the dual challenge of meeting the world’s energy needs while reducing emissions from our operations,” Mr Blommaert said.

“As a world leader in the development and use of carbon capture and storage, we will work with the alliance to identify how this technology can play a pivotal role in reducing Scotland’s emissions.”

ExxonMobil was the first company to capture more than 120 million tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to the emissions of more than 25 million cars for one year.

The company has an equity share in about one-fifth of global CO2 capture capacity and states that it has captured approximately 40 per cent of all the captured anthropogenic CO2 in the world.