The Kingdom enhances its global leadership in carbon capture technologies through innovative projects and strategic partnerships

By: Fahad Al-Talal

The Kingdom continues to consolidate its position as a leading global leader in carbon capture and management technologies. This is part of its efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions goals and support Saudi Vision 2030. This is achieved through advanced projects that combine innovation, international partnerships, and large-scale industrial applications.

The latest of these steps was the announcement by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, from the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) of the operation of the first mobile Direct Air Capture (DAC) testing unit, in partnership with Clayworks.

This unit is distinguished by its ability to operate efficiently in hot and dry climate conditions, paving the way for the technology to be applied in similar environments both inside and outside the Kingdom. The project is part of an expanded feasibility study launched during the Saudi Green Initiative Forum in December 2024. The aim is to evaluate the technology and expand its use, in light of the Kingdom’s plans to capture and utilize up to 44 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2035 through carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) centers in the Eastern and Western regions.

The project reflects the Ministry of Energy’s ongoing initiatives and their translation of the Kingdom’s efforts in this direction. The Kingdom previously launched the National Circular Carbon Economy Program, which outlined a comprehensive roadmap for the replacement and localization of advanced carbon management technologies by formulating joint implementation mechanisms with relevant authorities, covering technical, administrative, engineering, and standard-setting aspects. The program aims to achieve sustainable social and economic growth, promote integrated solutions to address climate change, and ensure the Kingdom’s global leadership in this field.

In a related context, the Saudi Ministry of Energy has implemented several qualitative initiatives, most notably its membership in the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute in October 2023, which includes more than 200 members from 33 countries. This initiative aims to exchange expertise and adopt the latest capture and storage technologies. The Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the UpLink platform, also launched the Carbon Capture and Reuse Challenge, an innovation program targeting researchers and startups to develop effective industrial solutions to convert carbon into products of economic value. In addition, the Ministry supports circular carbon economy applications within the framework of the Saudi Green Initiative by investing in emission reduction programs, improving energy efficiency, and expanding carbon capture projects to ensure net-zero carbon neutrality goals by 2060.

Major projects in this field stand out on the Kingdom’s map, including the Jubail Carbon Capture Center, a joint venture between Aramco, SLB, and Linde, with a storage capacity of 9 million tons per year in its first phase by 2027. There is also the Accelerated Carbon Capture (ACCS) project, one of the largest carbon capture projects in the world, which includes the construction of a pipeline network of more than 200 kilometers to transport carbon dioxide to geological storage, with the goal of reaching a capture capacity of 14 million tons per year by 2035.

In industrial carbon use, Aramco is implementing the Uthmaniyah EOR project, which injects approximately 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually into reservoirs to boost production, while SABIC is implementing the SABIC CCU project, which recycles half a million tons of carbon annually and converts it into products. High-value industries.

In parallel with these efforts, the Public Investment Fund and the Saudi Tadawul Group established the Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company, which conducted record auctions and signed strategic agreements to support high-integrity carbon credits. This contributes to financing emission reduction and offset projects and strengthens the Kingdom’s position as a regional and global center for carbon markets.

With this momentum of projects and initiatives, the Kingdom continues its path toward leading global efforts in carbon capture technologies, transforming them into an economic and strategic pillar that supports sustainable growth and preserves the environment.

In 2021, the Kingdom launched the Saudi Green Initiative, an ambitious national initiative aimed at combating climate change, improving the quality of life, and protecting the planet for future generations.

The Saudi Green Initiative also seeks to mobilize the efforts of all stakeholders in society to achieve three main goals: reducing emissions, planting trees, and protecting land and nature. More than 85 initiatives are currently underway to contribute to achieving the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, all of which represent massive investments in the green economy. Since launching the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021, the Kingdom has successfully transformed its global commitments into concrete actions and continues to make steady progress toward achieving its climate ambitions. The Kingdom’s investments and commitments under the umbrella of the Saudi Green Initiative have reached $180 billion across more than 85 initiatives and projects.