How Saudi Arabia could become a leader in carbon capture on the road to net-zero emissions

Carbon emissions must be cut but industrial processes and energy needs mean fossil fuels can’t be ditched overnight. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 13 March 2023
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How Saudi Arabia could become a leader in carbon capture on the road to net-zero emissions

  • Carbon capture can achieve 14 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed by 2050
  • The Kingdom has set the bar high, with a carbon capture target of 44 million tons annually by 2035

RIYADH: As nations step up their efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emission goals and mitigate the effects of climate change, oil and gas-producing countries in particular are under tremendous pressure to make a swift transition to green energy sources and leave their petroleum assets underground.

This is no small challenge. Carbon-capture technologies could therefore prove be a vital lifeline for the energy industries of these countries, and Saudi Arabia is well-placed to emerge as a global leader in the carbon-capture sector.

Carbon capture utilization and storage, or CCUS, technologies have been in use for decades to remove and sequester carbon dioxide emissions, and improve the quality of natural gas. Carbon capture achieves several goals, simultaneously reducing emission levels while also ensuring fossil fuels meet the world’s pressing energy needs and providing a mechanism to help meet net-zero goals by 2050.

According to Bloomberg, global investment in carbon capture and storage projects will reach $6.4 billion this year.

The most natural method of carbon capture is as old as time itself: Photosynthesis, the process through which trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transform it into oxygen and energy.

Saudi authorities have launched a number of afforestation initiatives, including the Saudi Green and the Middle East Green initiatives, with the aim of planting 50 billion trees in the Kingdom and the wider region as part of the Middle East Green Initiative, in partnership with the countries. Still, this alone is not enough and other methods are desperately needed to reduce carbon emissions as efficiently possible.

According to the International Energy Agency, effective CCUS technologies capture emissions at source or directly from the air. The carbon dioxide collected in this way can then be stored deep underground or processed to convert it into valuable products.

The IEA is aware of more than 300 carbon-capture facilities being developed worldwide, including the Gorgon Carbon Dioxide Injection Project in Australia; two capture facilities linked to the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line in Canada; the first large-scale bioenergy and carbon-capture project in Japan; capture facilities at the Sinopec chemical plant and at the Guohua Jinjie coal-fired power plant in China; and Saudi Aramco’s Uthmaniyah project and Hawiyah gas plant.

Saudi Arabia has set the bar high in its efforts to cut emissions, announcing a carbon-capture target of 44 million tons a year by 2035. Aramco is working with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Energy to establish a hub in Jubail with a storage capacity of up to 9 million tons a year by 2027.

In mid-January, meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company teamed up with the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation, UAE-based clean energy company Masdar, and Emirati decarbonization company 44.01 for a project to remove carbon dioxide from the air by “mineralizing” it into rock formations in Fujairah emirate.

According to Vikas Dhole, general manager for Sustainability Solution Strategy and Enablement with AspenTech, a provider of software and services for process industries, the Middle East as a whole is in an ideal position to take the lead in carbon-mitigation efforts, thanks to its vast subsurface formations, which have the capacity to store a highly significant proportion of the world’s target for carbon removal.

“These two initiatives from Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi will have a big impact, regionally and globally,” he told Arab News. “The Middle East can pair that with the region’s ideal geography to generate massive solar power. These together allow carbon removal powered by green energy.”




Middle East is well placed to be a world leader in carbon capture. (AFP)

Aramco recently announced a partnership with AspenTech to make carbon-capture software developed by Aramco available to other companies globally, so that new technology will have an effect far beyond the Kingdom.

Dhole said his company is also working to integrate its software capabilities with a number of businesses to help them predict the long-term outcomes of various carbon dioxide storage strategies, including mineralization.

“In short, the announcements recently made in the region can be anticipated to be very impactful,” he added.

In recent years, the momentum for CCUS has been growing. It is estimated that carbon capture could achieve 14 percent of the global target for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and is viewed as the only practical way to achieve deep levels of decarbonization in the industrial sector.

In a report published last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that a drastic reduction in carbon emissions will no longer be sufficient in the battle against climate change; the world now needs Negative Emissions Technologies to keep rising temperatures at bay.

While Dhole believes the world is indeed “late to the game” in terms of the efforts to reduce emissions, he sees it as an opportunity to be seized.

“The opportunity is there to scale this up much faster than ever before by combining the engineering innovation with the digitalization innovation, and the funding resources of players such as (Saudi Arabia) and Abu Dhabi,” he said. “And it is really a profitable opportunity to provide carbon removal and storage services beyond the region.

INNUMBERS

• 44m Saudi Arabia’s annual carbon capture target by 2035 in tons.

• 50bn Number of trees the Kingdom will plant by 2030 to help capture carbon.

• 9m Annual carbon storage capacity of planned Jubail facility by 2027 in tons.

• 2060 Saudi Arabia’s target year for achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

“Carbon-capture utilization and storage are now proven, technologically, and rapidly improving, economically. They will become one of the key ‘silver bullets,’ if they are funded to the extent that the projects can be done in a completely digital manner, so that the earlier projects will inform future projects to keep improving technology-wise, economics-wise, and speed of execution-wise.

“This all can be done with an end-to-end digital pathway, as AspenTech has introduced to the industry.”

According to Paul Sullivan, a senior research associate at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies and a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, carbon-capture technologies, though widely available, are still costly to use and inefficient.

“Things are improving and can be improved more so,” he told Arab News. “Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their partners could work together on improving carbon capture, and the uses of that carbon after it is captured. There is no silver bullet.

“Most of the carbon in the atmosphere is absorbed by oceans, trees and other natural carbon sinks. However, these are not enough. Also, these additions of carbon to the seas and other water bodies have caused acidification and do damage to coral reefs and more.

“Solving the carbon issues will need a multipronged, long-term, strategic approach, bringing in the energy industries, agriculture, transport and many more sectors. It will require us to work with think tanks, universities and across industries. There should be giant prizes for new inventions to bring the carbon balance more in line. All industries, and others, could be involved with this.”

The consensus seems to be that while the work of companies, engineers and scientists developing carbon-capture technologies has come a long way, a lot remains to be done to effectively utilize these technologies in a manner that can make a significant dent in curbing emissions and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.




Imbalances in the carbon balances and the carbon cycle are what we need to focus on,” said Paul Sullivan, Energy expert. 

Dhole agrees, saying that in particular, greater innovation is required in the “utilization” of captured carbon. Several chemical companies, including leading businesses in the Middle East, are working to commercialize ideas for the use of carbon dioxide as a chemical building block, for example.

“In this area, modeling combined with industrial AI (artificial intelligence), using a concept called hybrid models, will have a big impact on accelerating the innovation of these new classes of chemicals,” he said.

Over the past 30 years, many industry experts have predicted that CCUS technologies would be required to decarbonize a number of industries, including energy, chemicals, cement, and steel production, yet the CCUS industry is still finding its footing.

A report in October 2022 by the McKinsey Global Institute concluded that CCUS uptake needs to increase by a factor of 120 by 2050 if countries are to achieve their net-zero commitments.

The 2015 Paris climate agreement calls for a balance between reductions in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and earthbound carbon sinks, in an effort to reduce the confusion over the relative qualities and benefits of carbon in its various forms.

“Carbon is not always a problem,” said Sullivan. “It is used in photosynthesis to create food for plants and trees, for example. It is used in carbonated beverages and in many important scientific and industrial processes.

“Carbon is not the enemy. Imbalances in the carbon balances and the carbon cycle are what we need to focus on. Balance is the issue with climate change, as with many other issues.”


Saudi crown prince discusses Israeli attack on Iran with British, Turkish leaders

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (File/SPA/AFP)
Updated 12 min 36 sec ago
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Saudi crown prince discusses Israeli attack on Iran with British, Turkish leaders

  • Prince Mohammed and Starmer discussed latest developments in the region and the importance of resolving disputes through diplomatic means

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the repercussions of Israel’s military operations against Iran with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a phone call on Saturday.

The call comes a day after Israel launched a blistering surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing a number of top generals. The two countries continued to trade blows on Saturday.

Prince Mohammed and Starmer discussed the latest developments in the region and the importance of exerting all efforts to de-escalate and resolve disputes through diplomatic means, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Later on Saturday, Prince Mohammed spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders reviewed developments in the region following Israeli strikes on Iran, SPA said. 

 


Saudi FM receives German counterpart in Riyadh

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan receives his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Riyadh on Saturday. (SPA)
Updated 14 June 2025
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Saudi FM receives German counterpart in Riyadh

  • During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Riyadh on Saturday. 

During the meeting, the officials reviewed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen and develop them in various fields.

They also discussed regional and international developments and their implications on the security and stability of the region.


Saudi FM, US envoy to Syria discuss latest developments during phone call

Updated 14 June 2025
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Saudi FM, US envoy to Syria discuss latest developments during phone call

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

During the call, both diplomats discussed discussed measures to support the Syrian people on both humanitarian and economic levels.

Their talks also focused on the latest regional and international updates.


Saudi Arabia arrests 9,639 illegals in one week

Updated 14 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia arrests 9,639 illegals in one week

RIYADH: Saudi authorities arrested 9,639 people in one week for breaching residency, work, and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

Of those, 5,625 were arrested for residency violations, 2,797 for attempting to cross the border illegally, and 1,217 for labor-related offenses.

The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found facilitating illegal entry into the Kingdom — including providing transportation or shelter — could face up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to SR1 million ($266,000), and the confiscation of vehicles and property.

Suspected violations can be reported by calling 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, or 999 and 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.


King Salman orders Saudi officials to aid stranded Iranian Hajj pilgrims

Updated 14 June 2025
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King Salman orders Saudi officials to aid stranded Iranian Hajj pilgrims

  • Directive issued after authorities in Tehran close their airspace following attack by Israel said to have targeted Iranian nuclear sites, nuclear scientists and military chiefs
  • Plan for the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to provide help to the stranded pilgrims presented to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

RIYADH: King Salman on Friday ordered Saudi authorities to ensure that Iranian Hajj pilgrims stranded in the Kingdom receive all necessary support until it is safe for them to return home.

The directive came shortly after Israeli authorities launched early-morning airstrikes against Iran, which they said targeted nuclear sites, nuclear scientists and military chiefs. Tehran closed the country’s airspace in the aftermath.

The plan to provide help to stranded Iranian pilgrims was presented to the king by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has been tasked with ensuring they receive all necessary support.

The annual pilgrimage, a key pillar of Islam that all Muslims are required to complete at least once during their lives if physically and financially able, concluded on Monday. Tens of thousands of Iranians visit Saudi Arabia for Hajj each year. More than 1.6 million pilgrims from all over the world took part this year and authorities described it as a success.

Iran retaliated to the Israeli attack later on Friday by targeting Tel Aviv with missiles, raising fears of prolonged and more-dangerous exchanges of fire.