ADNOC and Occidental announced on Oct. 3 they have agreed to jointly develop a preliminary engineering study for the construction of a direct air capture (DAC) facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This would be the first megaton-scale DAC site outside the United States.
The agreement marks the first project to reach technical feasibility stage since the two firms signed a strategic collaboration agreement earlier this year to work on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) projects in both the UAE and the U.S.
The study will investigate the feasibility of establishing a one million metric tons per annum Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility, which will be linked to ADNOC’s existing carbon dioxide infrastructure. CO2 will be injected and permanently stored into saline reservoirs that are not used fo the production of oil and gas. ADNOC is now in the testing stage of the world-first full sequestered carbon injection well in a carbon saline aquifer in Abu Dhabi.
Relevant: Occidental And ADNOC To Explore Potential Of Carbon Management In The U.S. And UAE
In August, the two companies entered into a strategic collaboration agreement to jointly investigate investment prospects within CCS hubs in both the UAE and the U.S. They also committed to integrating climate technologies into energy initiatives, including emissions-free power generation and sustainable fuel production.
“The speed at which the Oxy and ADNOC teams have developed the feasibility and Pre-FEED plan for a DAC plant in Abu Dhabi underscores the urgency needed to deliver global-scale climate solutions and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions,” said Vicki Hollub, President and CEO at Occidental.
ADNOC recently announced a final investment decision to continue the development of one of the biggest CCS projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at Habshan. The facility will have the capacity to capture as much as 1.5 million tons yearly to be permanently stored in Abu Dhabi’s onshore reservoirs.
Read more: ADNOC Announces Major Investment In MENA Carbon Capture Project
