Oil and gas major BP and technology giant Microsoft have agreed a strategic partnership to further digital transformation in energy systems and help both companies reach their net-zero carbon goals.
BP will supply Microsoft’s data centres with renewable energy to help the technology firm meet the company’s 2025 targets as part of the partnership.
It will also use Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform Azure to access services including machine learning and data analytics to help boost its infrastructure division.
BP aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 “or sooner” and to have developed 50GW of net renewable generating capacity by then – a 20-fold increase on what it previously developed. The fossil fuel giant also aims to increase its annual low-carbon investment ten-fold to around $5 billion and cut oil and gas production by 40% by 2030.
It currently has stakes in 2,371MW of operational wind farms, and in 210MW of under-construction projects due online this year, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly. BP also recently secured a deal to buy 50% stakes in two under-development offshore wind farms off the US’s east coast.
Meanwhile, Microsoft aims to power its entire operations with renewable energy by 2025. It also plans to become carbon-negative by removing more greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere than it emits by 2030, and then erasing all historical emissions by 2050 through carbon capture and sequestration technology.
.png)
.png)
.jpg)
