As part of its sustainability strategy, Maersk Drilling has set a target of lowering the intensity of CO2 emissions from its drilling operations by 50% by 2030. The target is supported by Maersk Drilling’s strategic focus on efficiency gains, which also leads to reduced CO2 emissions.
“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our society today, and we want to do our part in addressing this. The global demand for energy is rising, and the expert consensus is that renewable energy will not be able to replace all traditional energy production within the foreseeable future. Therefore, the answer must be to provide affordable energy, including oil and gas, while keeping CO2 emissions under control. Our contribution to a sustainable energy future is to significantly reduce emissions from our operations and to explore ways to store CO2,” said Jørn Madsen, Maersk Drilling’s chief executive officer.
Maersk Drilling’s initiatives so far include the first rig to operate on shore power and the upgrade of two jack-up rigs to hybrid, low-emission rigs. In addition, Maersk Drilling recently announced that it has joined a consortium to advance one of the more progressed CO2 storage projects in Denmark.
“Sustainability is an area of concern also for our customers, and, by being a leader in low-emission offshore drilling, we maintain a differentiated offering which can help customers in reaching their targets. Investing in climate action is a key focus area for us, and we are committed to being at the forefront, leveraging our vast experience with operating in Norway, where sustainability requirements are very high,” Madsen said.
Maersk Drilling estimates that about half the target can be achieved through further efficiency gains and known technical solutions and concepts, while the other half will be facilitated by investments in innovation. The target will be measured as tonnes of CO2 emissions relative to three parameters: contracted days, drilled meters, and revenue, with 2019 being the baseline year.