ABB has partnered with Computer Modelling Group (CMG) on underground modelling technology to deliver a complete end-to-end carbon capture and storage (CCS) model.
Tracking the process of CO2 injection into underground reservoirs is critical to the safety, viability and scale of CCS projects.
ABB’s enhanced digital twin technology provides a full and transparent view of the activities and behavior of carbon dioxide from capture to storage.
ABB has formed a partnership with Canada-based Computer Modelling Group (CMG). CMG is a global simulation technology company that has been in the field of carbon capture for over 20 years. The two companies will integrate the underground simulation technology into existing digital twin technology for the commercial operation of carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The integrated technology will be able to simulate all stages of the CO2 capture process from the surface to the subsurface, whether to the seabed or to terrestrial aquifers, reducing risk and saving costs by allowing operators to test options in a virtual environment.

Through this partnership, ABB will leverage its Ability™ OPTIMAX® energy management system to combine above-ground digital twin technology with CMG’s underground simulation to provide a comprehensive end-to-end solution.
Brandon Spencer, president of ABB’s Energy industry, said: “Carbon capture and underground storage is a highly technical and challenging process. Being able to provide proof of concept throughout the CCS process is critical for accelerated adoption of CCS. “Costings or managing risks will not be possible without underground simulations, which are essential to scaling up the CCS market to support industrial decarbonisation and the emission reduction targets set out in the Paris Agreement.”

1783-BMS10CA

Underground simulations enable companies to assess risk for a variety of operational scenarios. These risks include loss or leakage due to unexpected physical and chemical reactions between underground carbon dioxide, water, rock and cement, or technical failures caused by salting out, such as wellbore failures.

“The collaboration will integrate the two technologies to develop new products to support intelligent, real-time operational decisions for successful carbon storage at scale,” said Pramod Jain, CEO of CMG. “Advanced subsurface simulation technologies are critical to assessing and monitoring the risks of CO2 injection across a variety of operational scenarios, and to the safety, viability and scale of carbon capture and storage projects.” We are excited to partner with a global innovation leader like ABB to bring our leading underground analog capabilities to their enhanced digital twin technology.”

The International Energy Agency (IEA), in its updated roadmap to Zero net emissions, highlights CCS as a key element in achieving the goal of zero net emissions, as well as the need for rapid progress on CCS. Although CCS shows a positive outlook, with the number of CCS projects quadrupling in 2021, CCS still accounts for a small proportion of all decarbonisation technologies. To meet countries’ net-zero emissions commitments, industry adoption would need to increase 120-fold by 2050, but if successful, according to McKinsey & Company, CCS alone has the potential to reduce global industrial carbon emissions by 45%.

ABB is a technology leader in electrical and automation that enables a more sustainable and efficient future. ABB integrates engineering expertise and software technology into solutions that optimize manufacturing, transportation, energy and operations. With a history of more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s approximately 105,000 employees worldwide are committed to driving innovation and accelerating industrial transformation.

ABB’s Process Automation business provides automation, electrification and digitization solutions for industrial operations, addressing a wide range of customer needs, from energy, water and material supply to product manufacturing and transportation. With advanced technology and service expertise, ABB’s approximately 20,000 process Automation employees worldwide are committed to helping customers in the process, hybrid and Marine industries improve operational performance and safety, enabling a more sustainable and efficient future.

CMG is a global software and consulting firm that combines science and technology with deep industry expertise to solve the complex subsurface and surface challenges of the global new energy industry. CMG is headquartered in Calgary, with additional offices in Houston, Oxford, Dubai, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Bangalore and Kuala Lumpur.