Williams has made its commitment to supporting efforts to commercialise emerging technologies including CCUS clear, through their most recent investment. It was through their Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) program, that Williams made their investment of ION.

The interest in this investment was due to the fact that ION has patented technology, which works to effectively capture post-combustion point-source CO2 emissions through the use of a liquid amine system. Right now the firm is focused on creating a standard plant design and it is planned that this will be a fully modular solution, capable of providing an economical offering when it comes to smaller point sources. It is clear that natural gas turbines, which are commonly found in compressors on midstream pipeline systems, would be included within the range of equipment that could be supported by this offer. One of the key reasons why this investment is so important, is because it has the potential to provide the opportunity for Williams to create a partnership with ION and from there, both companies could focus on accelerating the deployment of these standard plants.

Currently Williams is well-known as one of the U.S.’s largest natural gas transporters, for example, Willams provides gas to NGCC power plants which are located throughout the country. This is significant, as NGCC power plants represent over 32% of U.S. power generation, as stated in statistics provided by the EIA and they have also become a point of interest when it comes to emissions reductions mandates.

Due to how closely related these plants and Williams’ service area are, it is evident that Williams chose to work with ION because of the opportunity which was available to support ION’s customers with their decarbonisation efforts, whilst simultaneously providing CO2 capture, transportation and sequestration.

Vice President of New Energy Ventures for Williams, Jaclyn Presnal, commented, “Our investment in ION aligns with our desire for growth in CCUS efforts, especially when leveraging industry leading technology that provides compelling environmental and economic benefits compared to other solutions on the market.”

Presnal continued, “Natural gas is the most powerful tool in decarbonizing the electric power sector and this investment in ION further demonstrates our commitment to fund solutions that support not only our internal sustainability goals but also the goals of our customers.”