UAE’s ADNOC To Trial Technology That Permanently Miniralize CO2

UAE’s ADNOC will trial technology that permanently mineralizes carbon dioxide (CO2) 

The announcement was made at the ongoing Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2023.

According to the report, the project, due to commence this month, will use 44.01’s prize-winning carbon capture and mineralization (CCM) technology to eliminate CO2 from the atmosphere, according to the state news agency WAM.

It will be the first CCM project by an energy company in the Middle East.

Sophie Hildebrand, CTO at ADNOC, said, "Across ADNOC, we are committed to finding new ways to decarbonize our operations while meeting our responsibility to supply vital energy to the world."

"As the first energy company in the region to run a carbon-negative project of this kind, this pilot marks the latest step in our $15 billion investment into projects that will reduce our carbon footprint and help us achieve our Net Zero by 2050 ambition."

Fujairah was chosen for this pilot project because it has a lot of peridotite, a type of rock that reacts with CO2 to make minerals.

"We are proud to support ADNOC and our other partners to catalyse this natural process with 44.01’s technology. "Success here could pave the way to helping us make a significant contribution towards the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic  said Muhammad Saif Al Afkham, chairman of the Board of Directors for Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation.

As the report mentioned, in this pilot project, CO2 will be captured from the air, dissolved in seawater, and then injected into peridotite formations deep underground, where it will mineralize, ensuring that it cannot escape back into the atmosphere, according to WAM.

Talal Hasan, founder and CEO of 44.01, stated, "Removing CO2 from the atmosphere is vital if we are to halt and ultimately reverse climate change."

"Unlike CO2 storage, mineralization removes CO2 permanently by turning it into rock, minimising the need for long-term monitoring and insurance." "This pilot will enable us to test our technology at scale on our way to offering a safe, cost-effective, and natural solution for eliminating captured CO2 internationally," he added.

The project will be powered by solar energy supplied by Masdar. A successful pilot would open the possibility of mineralizing billions of tonnes of captured CO2 across the region, according to the report.

By Sumita Pawar