(WO) — SLB and Northern Lights Joint Venture (NL) have signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft to optimize integrated cloud-based workflows for the operation of Northern Lights, one of the first CO2 transport and storage providers for cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The collaboration will contribute to the development of scalable and cost-efficient digital solutions for the emerging CCS industry.

“Digital workflows are a key component to successfully managing CO2 through the end-to-end value chain, from capture point to permanent storage. Northern Lights is very pleased to partner with industry leading tech companies, SLB and Microsoft, on the development of digital CCS solutions,” Børre Jacobsen, managing director of Northern Lights, said.

In the initial phases of the collaboration, SLB will extend its digital CCS workflows and numerical simulation systems on its Delfi digital platform, which was deployed to streamline the subsurface workflows of Northern Lights in 2022.

Microsoft will deploy and extend its Microsoft Azure platform to ensure scalable cloud services that support Northern Lights’ business and the SLB digital CCS workflows. SLB and Microsoft are collaborating on the development of an Azure-compliant open-source data platform that will serve as the digital infrastructure for Northern Lights.

Carbon capture and storage enables the reduction or removal of CO2 emissions, providing industrial emitters with realistic decarbonization opportunities. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), “reaching net zero will be virtually impossible without CCUS.”

Northern Lights Joint Venture was established by Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell to accelerate the decarbonization of industry. The development of the transport and storage facilities is on schedule and Northern Lights will be ready to receive and store CO2 from industrial emitters in 2024.

The first phase development has a storage capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes CO2 per year and the company has already entered into commercial transport and storage agreements with Yara and Ørsted. Northern Lights has further growth ambitions and aims to expand its storage capacity according to market development.