UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Aramco unveils Saudi Arabia’s first direct air carbon capture pilot facility
2/4/2025
News
Aramco has launched what it says is Saudi Arabia’s first direct air capture (DAC) test unit. Developed in collaboration with Siemens Energy, the pilot facility will be capable of removing 12 t/y of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The initiative is part of the company’s broader strategy to accelerate deployment of large-scale carbon capture facilities in the Kingdom.
The DAC test unit will help support Aramco’s commitment to achieving net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions across its wholly-owned operated assets by 2050. It also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s net zero emissions by 2060 target.
Ali A Al-Meshari, Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Technology Oversight and Coordination, expects DAC technologies to ‘play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions moving forward, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors’. He adds that the captured CO2 could also be used in the production of more sustainable chemicals and fuels, integrating carbon capture into the company’s circular carbon economy strategy.
The launch of the DAC pilot project follows Aramco’s December 2024 signing of a shareholders’ agreement with industrial gases technology provider Linde and petro technology provider SLB (formerly Schlumberger) to develop a carbon capture and storage hub in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, set to become one of the world’s largest. The first phase, expected to be operational by 2027, will capture and store up to 9mn t/y of CO2 from three Aramco gas plants and other industrial sources. Later phases will expand the hub’s capacity further.
The captured CO2 will be transported through a pipeline network and stored below ground in an as yet unspecified saline aquifer sink, ‘leveraging the Kingdom’s significant geological potential for CO2 storage’, according to the project partners.
Under the terms of the agreement, Aramco will take a 60% equity interest in the hub, with Linde and SLB each owning a 20% stake.
