Adnoc has signed an agreement to work on a direct air capture (DAC) project with Occidental. This 1 million tonne per year plan would be the first of its kind outside the US.
The two companies have agreed to carry out a joint preliminary engineering study on the project. The move follows an agreement from August where the two sides said they would work together on carbon management plans in the US and the United Arab Emirates.
The study will set out the case for a DAC facility connected to Adnoc’s CO2 infrastructure.
“This joint investment in the proposed first megatonne [DAC] facility in the region exemplifies Adnoc’s commitment to leverage partnerships and promising technology to accelerate our decarbonisation journey on the way to net zero by 2045,” said Adnoc executive director for low carbon solutions Musabbeh Al Kaabi.
Oxy president and CEO Vicki Hollub noted the speed with which the companies had acted on the DAC plan. There is an urgent need to deliver “global-scale climate solutions and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions”, she said.
“We will continue to leverage our carbon management expertise to deliver value and accelerate our ability to achieve our net-zero targets and help others meet theirs.”
Net zero oil
Adnoc recently took the final investment decision (FID) on the Habshan carbon capture and storage (CCS) plan. This will store 1.5mn tpy of CO2 onshore in Abu Dhabi.
Hollub, speaking yesterday at an Adipec panel, spoke of her company’s plans for net zero – or even carbon negative – oil.
“We’re going to be able to improve technology of DAC and point source capture at a faster pace than wind and solar were able to reduce costs,” she said. “Any new technology can be better improved today, at a faster pace.” Hollub pointed to advances in computing and digital twins in driving such advances.
