17/12/2024 8:00:00

• The Institute will accelerate the deployment and scaling of cost-effective climate technology solutions
• Baker Hughes funding will support development of pollutant-adsorbing materials to combat emissions
• The center will be led by Professor Jeffrey Long, a world-renowned academic materials expert.

Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, and the University of California, Berkeley, announced a new long-term research partnership to create the Baker Hughes Institute for Decarbonization Materials at the University’s College of Chemistry. UC Berkeley. The institute will connect groundbreaking academic research with commercial innovation to accelerate the deployment and scale of cost-effective climate technology solutions that drive sustainable energy development.

From left to right: Chris Pin Harryvice president of technology, industrial and energy technology at Baker Hughes; Professor Jeffrey Longprofessor of chemistry at UC Berkeley and executive director of the institute; And Daniela AbateCCUS Vice President, Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes.

Under the agreement, Baker Hughes will fund collaborative research aimed at developing next-generation materials for a range of energy and industrial applications, including carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), hydrogen (H₂) and clean energy production, among others. Baker Hughes will be closely involved from the early stages of the research to shape programs according to evolving market and customer needs, as any findings can potentially be scaled across the company’s entire portfolio of climate technology solutions. business.

“Innovation, collaboration and partnership are essential to building the diverse portfolio of technology solutions needed to meet the energy demands of today and tomorrow. The partnership with the UC Berkeley College of Chemistry is an important step in our commitment to sustainable energy development,” said Chris Pin Harry, vice president of technology, industry and energy technology ( IET) at Baker Hughes.

The institute will be led by Jeffrey Long, C. Judson King Distinguished Professor and professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley, a globally recognized materials expert who pioneered the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to adsorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other molecules from industrial emissions flows.

Baker Hughes funding will support Berkeley researchers with expertise in materials development and discovery, computational chemistry, advanced characterization, process engineering, and technoeconomics. Chris Pin Harry and Daniela Abate, CCUS Vice President, Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes, will serve on the institute’s joint steering committee.

Initial research projects will focus on advanced materials design, including the creation and testing of new chemical structures such as MOFs, as well as the development of gas separation and chemical conversion systems. Additionally, projects will leverage AI and machine learning to accelerate the discovery and development of improved materials and new technology solutions.

“Our goal is to make materials that not only adsorb gases more efficiently, but also do not require high energy,” said Professor Long, executive director of the institute. “As chemists, we know how to fine-tune materials at the atomic level, but we need partners like Baker Hughes who can scale and industrialize the technology. Reducing emissions is an urgent task, and I am confident that together we can make scalable, commercially relevant materials that can quickly come to market and make a difference.

The partnership builds on Baker Hughes’ broader development of innovative climate technologies, including its work in CCUS with Mosaic Materials’ Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. Acquired by Baker Hughes in 2022, Mosaic Materials originated from Professor Long’s lab at UC Berkeley, and pilot units are currently being tested to accelerate deployment to commercial scale.

The institute highlights Baker Hughes’ commitment to investing in emerging technologies that will effectively reduce or eliminate emissions across multiple sectors.

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