Cairn Oil & Gas to become Net Zero by 2030

Cairn Oil & Gas said on Monday that it is set to become Net Zero Carbon emitter by 2030, through pioneering Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) leadership across the exploration and production (E&P) value chain.

As part of a multi-pronged strategy, Cairn’s focused ESG roadmap covers carbon emission reduction, leverage renewable energy sources, leveraging nature-based carbon solutions and adopting innovations such as waste to energy, carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) among others. With this, Cairn has fast-tracked its vision of attaining Net Zero Carbon by 2030, the company, part of the Vedanta Group, said.

Cairn Oil & Gas Deputy CEO Steve Moore said “Cairn, as the largest private oil and gas producer in India, is proud to lead the charge towards a greener future by making a positive impact on the environment and communities we operate in. Our decarbonisation and environmental initiatives are aligned with the vision to become carbon neutral by 2030 through innovation and technology, coupled with our dedicated efforts.”

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Cairn is committed to enhancing its operational performance in synergy with climate change mitigation and further plans to minimise emissions through process optimisation, improved reliability, and low carbon technologies. The multi-pronged long-term strategy to become Net Zero Carbon by 2030 is backed by a meticulous plan exploring new opportunities.

This year’s theme of World Environment Day centers on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience. Cairn’s biodiversity conservation initiatives and nature restoration activities are spread across its operational areas in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat. The company plans to plant 2 million trees by 2030.

For achieving a low-carbon trajectory to reduce its environmental impact, Cairn is implementing diverse initiatives to decarbonise its operations while expanding its energy portfolio.

The company has planned to source up to 70 megawatt (MW) of renewable energy by 2030, with a renewable power delivery agreement for 25 MW set to commence in FY25. It has also installed solar rooftops across Rajasthan and Gujarat operational sites.

It has also undertaken a feasibility study on ‘Waste to Power’ project to utilise lean gas, CO2 rich gas, solid waste and other industrial waste, to generate power through pressurized oxy combustor technology. The resulting CO2 gas can then be further utilised for enhanced oil recovery.

Other initiatives include bottling and cascading of gas for CNG players, gas transportation from satellite fields to terminal through pipeline, optimising recycled gas compressors, installation of ejector to reduce flaring in terminals and employing digital twin technology for comprehensive asset management.

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