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Why Microsoft is investing in Houston as an energy transition leader

The Energy Transition Center for Excellence is housed out of Microsoft Technology Center in Houston. Photo courtesy of Microsoft

Houston is known as the energy capital of the world to many, and major players — from the mayor to corporations — are determined to translate that leadership to the energy transition.

With that in mind, Microsoft has launched its own hub to celebrate the movement — the Energy Transition Center for Excellence, which was announced this spring. The new center, based in the Microsoft Technology Center in Houston, exists to support companies as they evolve their business to be more sustainable and climate-conscious.

“We are proud to have a vast and rich ecosystem of partners that actively co-develop sustainability solutions,” Darryl Willis, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Energy and Resources Industry tells EnergyCapital via email. “Our featured partners demonstrate what is possible across the energy transition value chain from decarbonization to new clean energy solutions.”

Microsoft is behind platforms such as Microsoft Cloud, AI, machine learning, the Internet of Things, and mixed reality, all of which can help to “power transformation,” as Willis puts it.

According to research provider BloombergNEF, it will take an investment of $5.8 trillion into energy transition to achieve a global net-zero by 2050. Not every company is committed to spending the necessary funds to make the sometimes-massive changes to their operations.

But Willis lists nine partners that have actively been collaborating with Microsoft to achieve net-zero goals. Each boasts an exhibit at the Energy Transition Center for Excellence. There, customers have the opportunity to see precisely how Microsoft and those companies are working to make their operations healthier for the planet, from decarbonization to new, clean energy solutions.

For example, Bentley is working with Microsoft to provide digital solutions in offshore wind power. EY is furthering decarbonization with its Hydrogen Pathways, a molecular accounting platform that creates a “holistic view for hydrogen production.” Terra Praxis is behind REPOWER, a standardized system that is helping to repurpose coal plants to create clean energy.

Customers can make an appointment to experience a new energy future through immersive, interactive exhibits built by Microsoft’s partners.

“Many of the energy customers we support on their decarbonization and sustainability efforts are either headquartered or have significant presence in Houston, making it an ideal location for deeper collaboration as we tackle this significant challenge facing the world,” says Willis.

With the city becoming a hub for the incubation of climate tech, Houston is inching ever closer to becoming the Energy Transition Capital of the World.

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A View From HETI

HYCO1 has signed an agreement to convert 1 million tons per year of raw CO2 into industrial-grade syngas at a new carbon capture project in Malaysia. Photo via Getty Images.

Houston-based CO2 utilization company HYCO1 has signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia LNG Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Petronas, for a carbon capture project in Malaysia, which includes potential utilization and conversion of 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

The project will be located in Bintulu in Sarawak, Malaysia, where Malaysia LNG is based, according to a news release. Malaysia LNG will supply HYCO1 with an initial 1 million tons per year of raw CO2 for 20 years starting no later than 2030. The CCU plant is expected to be completed by 2029.

"This is very exciting for all stakeholders, including HYCO1, MLNG, and Petronas, and will benefit all Malaysians," HYCO1 CEO Gregory Carr said in the release. "We approached Petronas and MLNG in the hopes of helping them solve their decarbonization needs, and we feel honored to collaborate with MLNG to meet their Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050.”

The project will convert CO2 into industrial-grade syngas (a versatile mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) using HYCO1’s proprietary CUBE Technology. According to the company, its CUBE technology converts nearly 100 percent of CO2 feed at commercial scale.

“Our revolutionary process and catalyst are game changers in decarbonization because not only do we prevent CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere, but we transform it into highly valuable and usable downstream products,” Carr added in the release.

As part of the MoU, the companies will conduct a feasibility study evaluating design alternatives to produce low-carbon syngas.

The companies say the project is expected to “become one of the largest CO2 utilization projects in history.”

HYCO1 also recently announced that it is providing syngas technology to UBE Corp.'s new EV electrolyte plant in New Orleans. Read more here.

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