Saudi Arabia, represented by the Energy Ministry, has become the latest member to join the Global CCS Institute on scaling up carbon capture and storage technology (CCS).
Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to tackling the climate challenge through collaboration, innovation, and adopting proven technologies.
Saudi Arabia has a diverse portfolio aimed at reducing carbon emissions, including through CCS, with a target to reach net zero by 2060.
Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said CCS is a needed technology to drive a low-emission transition across the complex to abate industries.
"In 2022, Saudi Arabia announced plans to develop one of the largest CCS hubs in the world, where 44 million tons of CO2 will be mitigated annually through CCS efforts in the Jubail industrial city by 2035," said the minister.
He indicated that getting ambitious climate projects off the ground will require partnerships and region-specific expertise and knowledge, and being a member of the Global CCS Institute will enhance that further.
The Global CCS Institute said it is keen to work with the Saudi government to provide expertise to drive the accelerated deployment of CCS technology.
CEO of the Global CCS Institute Jarad Daniels stated that Saudi Arabia is putting plans in place to develop large-scale projects that will have the capacity to capture and store millions of tons of CO2 from industry, subsequently being poised to be a CCS leader in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
"As the country shifts from CCS ambition to CCS action, we look forward to being an active part of that journey," Daniels added.
The Global CCS Institute's diverse membership is over 200 strong, spanning 33 countries, including 13 government members.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy, leading the government's carbon capture and storage efforts, will work closely with the Institute on CCS capacity building.
Although over 250 CCS facilities are in various stages globally, that number will need to increase by 100-fold for international climate targets to be reached by mid-century.
Saudi Arabia's geological storage capacity makes the country an excellent candidate for CCS deployment and industrial decarbonization efforts.
