Microsoft and Accenture partner to tackle methane emissions with AI technology | Azure Blog | Microsoft Azure

Microsoft’s Sustainability Journey

Microsoft is committed to addressing the climate crisis through its own sustainability efforts and by empowering its customers and partners to achieve net-zero emissions. By 2030, Microsoft aims to be a carbon-negative, water positive, and zero-waste company while protecting ecosystems. As part of these efforts, Microsoft has launched Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, a suite of sustainability management tools to support businesses in their transition to net-zero.

In addition to its internal sustainability goals, Microsoft is also contributing to global sustainability initiatives. Through its Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft is accelerating the availability of climate technologies. The company is also working on strengthening its climate policy agenda. These initiatives set the stage for Microsoft’s partnership with Accenture on using AI technologies to address methane emissions in the energy industry.

Why Methane is Important

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is approximately 85 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. It is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, accounting for about 20 percent of global emissions. The oil and gas industry is a major source of methane emissions, and addressing this issue is crucial in the fight against climate change.

Microsoft’s Investment in Project Astra

Microsoft has joined the Project Astra initiative, which brings together energy companies, public sector organizations, and academic institutions to develop a new approach to detecting and measuring methane emissions from oil and gas production sites. Project Astra utilizes a sensor network and advanced data analytics to provide continuous monitoring of methane emissions, enabling timely remediation.

Accenture and Microsoft – The Future of Methane Management

The goal of achieving net-zero methane emissions is becoming more attainable. Advanced technologies are maturing rapidly, and digital platforms are being developed to integrate these technologies. Accenture has developed the Methane Emissions Monitoring Platform (MEMP), which integrates multiple data streams and provides key methane insights to drive action. This cloud-based platform, running on Microsoft Azure, enables energy companies to measure baseline methane emissions in real-time, detect leaks, and optimize emissions management.

Microsoft’s AI Tools Powering Accenture’s MEMP

Microsoft has provided Azure-based AI tools to support methane emissions monitoring. These tools include sensor placement optimization, digital twin for methane IoT sensors, anomaly detection, and emission source attribution and quantification. When integrated with Accenture’s MEMP, these tools enable users to monitor alerts in real-time and take timely remedial actions.

Methane IoT Sensor Placement Optimization

Placing sensors strategically is crucial for effective methane leak detection. Microsoft’s solution for sensor placement uses geospatial, meteorological, and historical data to model methane plumes and select optimal sensor locations. A validation module is also provided to evaluate the performance of different sensor placement strategies.

End-to-End Data Pipeline for Methane IoT Sensors

Microsoft has implemented an end-to-end solution pipeline for continuous monitoring of methane emissions. This pipeline includes data ingestion, cleaning, aggregation, and transformation, as well as anomaly detection and emission source attribution. The resultant data is stored in a format optimized for AI tasks and can be used to trigger alerts and enable timely remediation.

Digital Twin for Methane IoT Sensors

Microsoft’s solution creates a digital twin for each methane IoT sensor, which is used to orchestrate data streaming and simulate sensor behavior. The digital twin enables testing, analysis of anomalous events, and simulation-based source attribution and leak quantification.

Anomaly (Leak) Detection

Microsoft provides univariate and multivariate anomaly detection models for methane leak detection. These models analyze sensor data and trigger alerts for potential leaks. Severity scores are computed for each anomaly to prioritize alerts and reduce false positives.

Emission Source Attribution and Quantification

Microsoft offers two approaches for identifying the source of methane leaks: area of influence attribution and Bayesian attribution. These approaches use sensor measurements, location data, and atmospheric models to attribute leaks to specific emission sources and quantify the leak rate. This information is used to create work orders for remediation.

Looking Ahead

Microsoft and Accenture will continue to refine the Methane Emissions Monitoring Platform and enhance its capabilities. The focus will be on moving from detection and remediation to prediction and prevention of emission events. Integration with industry standards platforms and the use of Generative AI will also be explored.

Learn More

Case Study

Duke Energy is collaborating with Accenture and Microsoft on the development of a technology platform to measure baseline methane emissions from natural gas distribution systems.

Accenture Methane Emissions Monitoring Platform

More information about Accenture’s MEMP can be found in their publication “More than hot air with methane emissions”. Additional information about Accenture can be found on their website.

Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Energy

Azure Data Manager for Energy is an enterprise-grade data management platform for the energy industry. It provides efficient, standardized, and scalable data management capabilities for ingesting, storing, and retrieving data.

Related Publications and Conference Presentations

Microsoft has published research papers and made conference presentations on topics related to methane leak detection and quantification using AI and statistical models.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article:

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Based on the Article’s Content:

• SDG 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
• SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable
• SDG 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including air quality and waste management
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
• SDG 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation

Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article:

• Methane emissions from global oil and gas operations (indicator for SDG 13.2)
• Baseline methane emissions in near real-time (indicator for SDG 7.2)
• Methane leak detection and remediation (indicator for SDG 9.4)
• Reduction in methane emissions from oil and gas facilities (indicator for SDG 11.6)
• Integration of AI capabilities for methane leak detection and remediation (indicator for SDG 17.6)

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: azure.microsoft.com

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