Aker Solutions signed an agreement with Microsoft to accelerate the development and delivery of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects worldwide. The collaboration aims to improve project maturity and bankability while reducing execution risks. Furthermore, the companies will help project developers strengthen investment readiness and move promising projects more efficiently towards final investment decisions (FID).
Supporting CCS and CDR Projects from Development to Execution
Aker Solutions will work with a broad range of stakeholders, including project developers, industrial emitters, transport and storage providers, industry organisations and governments. The partnership will focus on helping projects overcome technical and commercial barriers. In particular, the companies will support developers in improving project maturity and bankability, reducing development and execution risks, strengthening investment readiness, exploring opportunities linked to carbon removal credits and accelerating projects towards final investment decisions. As a result, the collaboration is designed to help move CCS and CDR projects from early concepts towards commercial execution.
Combining Digital Technology with Engineering Expertise
The partnership brings together complementary capabilities from both companies. Microsoft will contribute its expertise in digital technologies, data, artificial intelligence (AI), monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), and carbon markets. Aker Solutions will provide techno-economic advisory services as well as end-to-end engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) capabilities. By combining digital solutions with engineering and project execution expertise, the companies aim to create a more integrated approach to developing carbon management projects.
Single Pathway from Feasibility to Operations
As selected CCS and CDR projects progress towards FID, Aker Solutions and Microsoft plan to provide integrated engineering and execution support. This approach could give project developers a single pathway from early-stage feasibility through project execution and ultimately to operations. Consequently, developers can potentially reduce the complexity involved in coordinating multiple technology, engineering, data and verification partners throughout the project lifecycle.
Aker Solutions Highlights Need for Value-Chain Collaboration
Kjetel Digre, CEO of Aker Solutions, said many carbon capture and removal projects face similar challenges when moving from concept to commercial reality. “As the market matures, success will depend on strong collaboration across the value chain.” He added that the partnership with Microsoft will help project developers navigate complexity, strengthen business cases and support the next generation of CCS and CDR projects.
Microsoft Advances Carbon Removal Ambitions
Microsoft has set a target to become carbon negative by 2030 and remove its historical emissions by 2050. To support these goals, the company has worked to expand the market for durable carbon dioxide removal through long-term purchasing agreements. It has also shared its experience and learnings to support greater transparency in the emerging carbon removal market.
Digital MRV and AI Could Strengthen Project Execution
Darryl Willis, Corporate Vice President, Energy and Resources at Microsoft, said the company supports collaborations that address the entire carbon management value chain. The partnership will connect physical infrastructure with trusted data, AI and digital monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) capabilities. According to Microsoft, bringing these complementary capabilities together can help reduce project risks and accelerate credible CCS and carbon removal projects globally.
Strengthening the Global CCS and CDR Ecosystem
The Aker Solutions–Microsoft collaboration comes as industries and governments seek scalable solutions to reduce emissions from hard-to-abate sectors and increase carbon dioxide removal. By combining AI, digital technologies, carbon markets, engineering and project execution capabilities, the partnership aims to help promising CCS and CDR projects progress more efficiently from planning to investment and eventually commercial operations. As per the press release, the collaboration could support the wider development of global carbon capture, storage and removal infrastructure while helping project developers build stronger and more investment-ready projects.
