미국 석유기업 엑손모빌(ExxonMobil)은 미국 글로벌터모스타트(Global Thermostat)와의 3년간의 협력을 끝으로 자체 직접대기포집(DAC) 프로젝트를 진행할 방침임. 두 기업은 2019년 DAC 관련 파트너십을 체결하고 2020년과 2022년 두 차례에 걸쳐 계약을 연장한 바 있으나 2023년 종료된 계약을 올해 갱신하지 않기로 함. 2021년 블룸버그(Bloomberg) 보도에 따르면, 글로벌터모스타트가 비용을 제때 지불하지 않았으며 특정 기술 목표 달성에도 어려움을 겪은 것으로 보임. 엑손모빌 저탄소 솔루션(Exxon Mobil Low Carbon Solutions)의 리디아 존슨(Lydia Johnson) 제품 개발 부회장은 자체 DAC 프로젝트가 아직 초기 단계라고 말한 바 있음. DAC 기술의 문제 중 하나는 바로 비용임. 존슨 부회장은 “매우 많은 비용이 들어간다. 따라서 우리는 바로 이 점을 이해하고 비용을 절감하는 노력을 해야 한다”고 말함.
Exxon To Advance Direct Air Capture With Its Own Pilot Project (Carbon Herald, 07-03)
Exxon is advancing a pilot direct air capture (DAC) project with in-house expertise after ending a partnership with carbon removal company Global Thermostat.
As reported by Energy Intelligence, Exxon will be working on its own DAC project after concluding a three-year collaboration with the U.S.-based Global Thermostat. Back in 2019, the two companies signed an agreement to work together on direct air capture technology and extended the partnership twice – in 2020 and 2022.
The partnership, which expired in 2023, was not renewed this year, Energy Intelligence reported. Exxon and Global Thermostat did not comment on the reason behind the decision.
According to a Bloomberg report from 2021, Global Thermostat allegedly did not pay some of its bills on time and struggled to achieve certain technological milestones. Founding CEO Graciela Chichilnisky left the company in 2021 and was replaced by Enphase’s previous CEO Paul Nahi last September.
Lydia Johnson, vice president of product development for Exxon Mobil Low Carbon Solutions, told Energy Intelligence the oil and gas corporation’s in-house DAC pilot is still in the early stages.
One of the challenges ahead for DAC technology is cost. “It’s very expensive, it’s way out there,” Johnson told Energy Intelligence. “So our challenge is to understand that and get our cost down.”
Exxon CEO Darren Woords has refered to direct air capture as the “holy grail” with the company previously indicating that its current cost for removing one ton of CO2 from the atmosphere is between $600 and $1,000, and is looking to cut that in half.
Other oil and gas giants that pursue or research DAC technology include Occidental, Chevron and Shell.