Saudi Aramco Joins World Bank’s ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’

Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo
Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo
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Saudi Aramco Joins World Bank’s ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’

Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo
Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo

Saudi Aramco has announced that it is joining the World Bank Initiative ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’.

The company also has a strong focus on flaring reduction, which remained at less than 1 percent of its total raw gas production in the first half of 2019.

“We are proud to join the ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ Initiative, which we view as an important global effort to eliminate flaring. We have been taking active steps to reduce flaring in our operations for the past 40 years and have invested in a range of flaring reduction technologies and programs to achieve our excellent performance,” Ahmad A. Al-Saadi, Saudi Aramco Senior Vice-President, Technical Services said.

“Beyond this initiative, we are also investing in advanced technologies to enable greater efficiency and lower emissions in transport, carbon-free hydrogen fuels, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). This is all part of our broader effort to enable the circular carbon economy and deliver clean, reliable and affordable energy to the world while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions,” he noted.

Saudi Aramco’s low flaring levels are a result of its decades-long focus on sustainability, which encompasses the development of the Kingdom’s Master Gas System in the 1970’s, rolling out a Company-wide Flaring Minimization Roadmap, using innovative flaring reduction technologies and establishing a Fourth Industrial Revolution Center that monitors all the Company’s operations including flaring in real-time.

In addition, and as a result of Saudi Aramco’s reservoir management best practices, flaring minimization and energy efficiency programs, the Company’s 2018 upstream carbon intensity figure is among the lowest globally at 10.2 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent.

Launched in April 2015, the ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ Initiative is a World Bank climate collaboration that brings together governments, oil and gas companies, and development institutions from around the world to eliminate routine flaring by 2030. Over 80 governments and organizations have joined the initiative, including the Government of Saudi Arabia, which joined in December 2018.



Dubai Forum Highlights 7 Key Developments the World Will Witness in the Future

Participants attend the opening session of the Dubai Future Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Participants attend the opening session of the Dubai Future Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Dubai Forum Highlights 7 Key Developments the World Will Witness in the Future

Participants attend the opening session of the Dubai Future Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Participants attend the opening session of the Dubai Future Forum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Participants at the Dubai Future Forum 2024 identified seven transformative developments that will reshape humanity’s future: the shift in evaluating growth, the dominance of solar energy, a return to the moon, the creation of a genomic bank, brain-computer implants for healthy individuals, the rise of alternative education, and AI’s integration into corporate boardrooms.

Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, emphasized the need to plan for the future and seize emerging opportunities.

In his keynote, he called for leveraging innovation, policy, and technology to enhance quality of life and foster global collaboration, reflecting the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Belhoul questioned the continued reliance on GDP as a measure of national progress, noting its inability to account for well-being and environmental impact. He welcomed the UN’s ongoing revision of its framework to incorporate these dimensions, signaling a major shift in evaluating growth.

On renewable energy, Belhoul pointed to solar power’s vast potential, stressing that global solar capacity, which stood at 220 gigawatts in 2022, is expected to double by 2025. In this context, he underlined the importance of natural resources in advancing sustainability and energy security.

Humanity is also set to return to the moon, with NASA planning a lunar mission after a 50-year hiatus. Belhoul expressed optimism about the new knowledge this mission could yield given recent technological advancements.

Moreover, the establishment of a genomic bank with over one million samples is expected next year, paving the way for personalized healthcare and disease prevention. While he hailed this as a scientific milestone, Belhoul urged caution over its ethical aspects.

In education, he stressed that a shift toward personalized learning is evident, with five million students projected to study outside traditional schools by next year. This reflects the growing role of technology in tailoring education to individual needs, he said.

Belhoul also discussed brain-computer implants, predicting that the first implant in a healthy person could happen within a year, raising profound questions about humanity’s relationship with technology. Additionally, he foresaw the appointment of the first AI-powered board member at a Fortune 500 company, sparking debates about AI’s role in leadership.

Belhoul urged policymakers and innovators to address these trends responsibly to ensure that technological advances align with human values and boost global well-being.