(MENAFN-Khaleej Times)
The UAE is exploring new technologies to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turn it into rock.
Adnoc on Tuesday announced a partnership with Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC), Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and 44.01 to trial technology that will permanently mineralize carbon dioxide in rock formations in the emirate of Fujairah.
The announcement was made at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
The project, scheduled to begin in January 2023, will use 44.01’s Earthshot Award-winning Carbon Capture and Mineralization (CCM) technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It will be the first CCM project by an energy company in the Middle East.
Sophie Hildebrand, Chief Technology Officer at Adnoc, said: “At Adnoc, we are committed to finding new ways to decarbonize our operations while meeting our responsibility to provide the world with vital energy. As the first energy company in the region to undertake a carbon negative project of its kind, this pilot project marks the latest step in our $15 billion investment in projects that will reduce our carbon footprint and help us meet our net- Zero” to be achieved by 2050.”
Fujairah was selected for this pilot project due to its abundance of peridotite, a rock form that naturally reacts with carbon dioxide to mineralize it.
Muhammad Saif Al Afkham, Chief Executive Officer of Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation, said: “We are proud to support Adnoc and our other partners to catalyze this natural process with 44.01’s technology. Success here could pave the way to help us make a significant contribution to the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.’
In this pilot project, carbon dioxide will be captured from the air, dissolved in seawater, and then injected deep underground into peridotite formations, where it will mineralize – ensuring it cannot escape back into the atmosphere.
Talal Hasan, Founder and CEO of 44.01 said: “Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is critical if we are to halt and ultimately reverse climate change. Unlike carbon dioxide storage, mineralization permanently removes the gas by converting it into rock, minimizing the need for long-term monitoring and insurance. This pilot project will allow us to test our technology on a large scale on our journey to provide a safe, cost-effective and natural solution to eliminate captured carbon dioxide internationally.’
The project will be powered by solar energy supplied by Masdar. A successful pilot project would open up the possibility of mineralizing billions of tons of the captured carbon dioxide across the region.
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