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State oil giant Saudi Aramco is working to deliver projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the kingdom’s 2060 net-zero ambitions.
Aramco’s plans include the development of solutions like lower-carbon hydrogen, direct air capture of carbon dioxide and the harnessing of geothermal energy.
The company is in the process of signing an engineering agreement with Danish engineering group Topsoe to establish a lower-carbon hydrogen demonstration plant at the Shaybah Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) recovery plant in Saudi Arabia.
It is also collaborating with Siemens Energy for the development of a DAC test unit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
The company has also piloted a novel CO2 sequestration solution using in situ mineralisation, which involves dissolving CO2 in water and injecting it into volcanic rocks in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Details of the projects were shared on Monday on the sidelines of the MENA Climate Week 2023 in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
“These projects highlight just some of the innovative ways that Aramco aims to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change,” said Ahmad Al Khowaiter, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technology and Innovation.
“We are working on multiple fronts, partnering with leaders in a variety of fields, in an effort to advance technology solutions that have the potential to make a real impact. This includes new groundbreaking approaches that align with our vision of a circular economy, as we strive to meet the world’s energy needs both now and in the future.”
Aramco’s lower-carbon hydrogen demonstration plant project with Topsoe will have a production capacity of six tonnes of hydrogen per day.
The DAC test unit that Aramco plans to develop with Siemens Energy is expected to be completed in 2024. It will pave the way for a larger pilot plant that will have a CO2 capture capacity of 1,250 tonnes per year.
(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
