ABB drives CCS progress by adding subsurface modeling to its digital twin technology

October 31, 2023

ABB has signed a partnership with Canadian-based Computer Modelling Group (CMG) – a global simulation technology company that has been involved in carbon capture for over 20 years – to incorporate subsurface modeling into their existing digital twin technology for commercial carbon capture and storage (CCS) operations.

Being able to simulate scenarios at every stage of the captured carbon dioxide’s journey from surface to underground – whether to subsea or land aquifers – reduces risks and saves costs by allowing operators to test options in a virtual setting.

With this collaboration, ABB will use its Ability™ OPTIMAX® energy management system to integrate above ground digital twin technology with CMG’s subsurface modeling, providing a full end-to-end solution.

“Capturing and storing carbon dioxide underground is a highly technical and challenging process. Being able to deliver proof of concept across the entire CCS process is crucial to accelerate adoption,” said Brandon Spencer, President of ABB Energy Industries. “Without subsurface modeling, the industry simply cannot calculate the cost or manage the risks, which is crucial if we are to scale the CCS market to the extent required to support decarbonization of industry and emissions reductions in line with the Paris Accord.”

Subsurface modeling enables businesses to assess risks against various operating scenarios. These risks include losses or leakage often caused by unexpected physical and chemical reactions underground between the carbon dioxide, water, rocks, and cement, or technical faults such as wellbore failure caused by salt precipitation.

“This partnership brings together two powerful technologies to develop a product to support the intelligent, real-time operational decision-making required to make carbon storage a success at scale,” said Pramod Jain, CEO of CMG. “Advanced subsurface modeling is necessary to assess and monitor risks of CO2 injection against various operating scenarios and is critical to the safety, feasibility, and scaling of carbon capture and storage projects. We are pleased to partner with ABB, a global leader in innovation, to provide our industry-leading, subsurface simulation capabilities to their enhanced digital twin technology.”

In its updated Net Zero Roadmap, the International Energy Agency highlights CCS as a key contributor to reaching net zero emissions targets but stresses that rapid progress is needed. Although the project pipeline offers a positive outlook, with CCS projects tripling in 2021 and nearly doubling again since CCS still represents a small percentage of all decarbonization technologies deployed. For countries to achieve their net-zero commitments, uptake by industry needs to grow 120-fold by 2050 but if successful, CCS alone could be responsible for reducing global industrial carbon emissions by 45 percent, according to McKinsey & Company.

ABB’s Process Automation business automates, electrifies, and digitalizes industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs – from supplying energy, water, and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. With its ~20,000 employees, and leading technology and service expertise, ABB Process Automation helps customers in process, hybrid, and maritime industries improve the performance and safety of operations, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. go.abb/processautomation

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered, and operated. Building on more than 140 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com

CMG is a global software and consulting company that combines science and technology with deep industry expertise to solve complex subsurface and surface challenges for the new energy industry around the world. CMG is headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Houston, Oxford, Dubai, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Bengaluru, and Kuala Lumpur. www.cmgl.ca