Aramco achieves the green dream: extracting carbon directly from the air

Saudi Aramco, a leader in energy and chemicals, has launched the first pilot unit for direct air capture of carbon dioxide in Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Siemens Energy. The unit will be capable of removing 12 tons of carbon dioxide annually from the atmosphere, representing an important step in the company's efforts to expand the capabilities of the direct air capture testing unit.

Aramco intends to use the facility as a testing platform for the next generation of carbon dioxide capture materials in Saudi Arabia's diverse climate, and aims to achieve cost reductions that could help accelerate the application of carbon dioxide capture technologies in the region.

The project underscores the strong focus of the Saudi energy company on carbon capture, which is a fundamental pillar of the company's strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 from its wholly-owned and operated facilities by 2050.

The launch of the carbon capture pilot unit comes following the announcement in December 2024 of the signing of a shareholder agreement by Saudi Aramco and its partners, "Linde" and "SLB", paving the way for the development of a carbon capture and storage center in Jubail. The first phase of the carbon capture and storage center will have the capacity to capture 9 million tons of carbon dioxide from three gas plants owned by Saudi Aramco and other industrial sources.

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