Rice University, Woodside collaborate to accelerate decarbonisation tech

Rice University and Australian energy giant Woodside Energy announced a five-year technology collaboration on January 18, aimed at spearheading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pioneer lower carbon solutions.

Woodside is set to contribute $12.5mn to establish the Woodside-Rice Decarbonisation Accelerator, an initiative designed to propel decarbonisation technologies developed at Rice University into the market.

“This collaboration is a testament to the power of merging academic expertise with industry insight and support. Together, we aspire to redefine the future of energy and climate,” said Rice University president Reginald DesRoches.

“Net Zero is not a destination but a journey. Over the next 10 years emerging and breakthrough technologies must come to market if society is to meet its climate goals,” said Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill. 

The Woodside-Rice Decarbonisation Accelerator aims to expedite the commercialisation of technologies, with a specific focus on manufacturing products derived from captured carbon dioxide and methane. Rice University intends to leverage cold plasma technology, a unique approach to breaking down carbon dioxide, with the potential to produce advanced materials for energy technologies such as batteries and transistors.