ADNOC has decided to make the final investment to develop the Habshan CCUS project, in order to triple ADNOC’s carbon capture capacity through creating a unique platform which will connect all the sources of emissions and sequestration sites.
Habshan CCUS project is one of the largest carbon capture projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The project will be able to capture and store 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, by using geological formations which will be built underground. Carbon Capture units will be housed at the Habshan gas processing plant and it will also include pipeline infrastructure and a system of wells where the CO2 can be injected. These wells will allow CO2 to be permanently stored in reservoirs located in the sub-surface. The CO2 will reach this point through closed-loop CO2 capture and reinjection technology which will be placed at the well site.
The investment from ADNOC follows their wider carbon management strategy and aligns with their goal to be Net Zero by 2045. The project will take ADNOC’s installed carbo capacity to 2.3 mtpa, which will equal the same as removing 500,000 gasoline-powered cars from the road per year.
The Executive Director of Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth at ADNOC, Musabbeh Al Kaabi, said, “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that carbon capture and storage is a critical enabler for the world to achieve net zero by mid-century. This landmark project, is one of many tangible initiatives that ADNOC is delivering as we accelerate our decarbonization plan to meet our Net Zero by 2045 ambition.”
ADNOC began its journey to becoming Net Zero by 2045 in 2016, when the company opened their first carbon capture, transportation and storage facility at Al Reyadah in Abu Dhabi. This facility is able to process up to 800,000 tons of CO2 per year captured at Emirates Steel Arkan.
Kaabi continued saying, “As ADNOC continues its transformation towards a lower carbon future, it is our intention to make further investments to significantly reduce our emissions, including in carbon capture and storage, and push the boundaries of innovation and technology with our partners, to build on our world-leading legacy and industry leadership in carbon management.”
It is clear that this investment in Habshan is well-placed and it showcases that ADNOC builds its long-term strategy around sustainability. Alongside its current investments, the company is partaking in multiple other strategies to move towards their decarbonisation and sustainability aim. These include, decarbonizing its operations, investing in renewables and low carbon fuels, building a global hydrogen value chain, deploying new climate technology solutions, and is also showing an interest in nature-based solutions which include planting mangroves in the UAE.