UAE’s first carbon mineralisation pilot project undertaken by ADNOC and Oman-based 44.01 will take off within weeks and run for around 12 months, a company official told Zawya Projects.

He said the pilot is being funded by ADNOC.

On Tuesday, ADNOC had announced it would partner with the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC), Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and 44.01 to pilot Carbon Capture and Mineralisation (CCM) technology that permanently mineralises carbon dioxide (CO2) within [the peridotite] rock formations found in Fujairah.

The Direct Air Capture Unit, which will suck air from the atmosphere and remove the CO2 and the CO2 injection underground will be powered by a solar plus battery system provided by Masdar.

The spokesperson said: “We're testing how the DAC unit performs in these conditions. We're going to find out the amount of CO2 that can be captured and mineralised depending on how these units perform.”

A successful pilot would open the possibility of mineralising billions of tons of captured CO2 across the region.

"Peridotite rocks have remarkable capacity to absorb CO2. For every tonne of Peridotite, you can mineralise about half a tonne of CO2. Peridotite is available elsewhere in the UAE, but Fujairah is the most promising source because it's abundant there and it's also near the sea, which helps in terms of access to water.”

He said learnings from pilots in Oman suggest that the periodide rocks in the region could, in theory, absorb every CO2 emission that humans have ever produced.

‘Project Hajar’ in Oman in collaboration with British DAC technology provider Mission Zero Technologies is the company's next project, the spokesperson said.

The first phase of the project expects an early 2024 commissioning date for a minimum of 1000 tonnes of CO2 per year carbon removal operation with dedicated renewables onsite. It was recognised by the Musk Foundation via XPRIZE. 

44.01’s work has also been acknowledged by the Earthshot Prize, Shopify and Stripe.

Read more:

44.01 receives its first carbon purchase commitment from Stripes Climate

44.01 aims to scale blue chemicals production using mineralisation

(Reporting by Sowmya Sundar; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)