Saudi Aramco strikes deal with Linde and SLB to build one of world’s largest CCS facilities

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SAUDI ARAMCO has struck a shareholder deal with energy firms Linde and SLB for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) hub in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, expected to become one of the world’s largest CCS facilities.

Aramco has also partnered with Samsung E&A and startup Carbon Clean to deploy the latter’s modular CCS technology for tackling emissions from natural gas streams as it looks to deliver on its promise of advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) innovation.

The petroleum and natural gas company hopes to achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, which includes CO2 release directly and indirectly, by 2050.

Aramco's CCS push

As part of its net zero ambitions, Aramco has a target to store up to 14m t/y of CO2 by 2035, with 9m t/y planned for the Jubail CCS Hub.

The new deal will see the company retain a 60% stake in the hub, with Linde and SLB each owning 20%.

Ashraf Al Ghazzawi, Aramco EVP of strategy and corporate development, said: “Aramco’s collaboration with SLB and Linde demonstrates the importance of global partnerships in driving technological innovation, reducing emissions from conventional energy sources, and enabling new, lower-carbon energy solutions.

“This CCS hub is among several programmes that will enable us to meet rising demand for affordable, reliable, and more sustainable energy.”

The hub is expected to capture around 6m t/y CO2 from three Aramco gas plants, and a further 3m t/y from other industrial sources. The captured CO2 will be dehydrated and compressed for pipeline transportation, where it will then be sequestered in an onshore saline aquifer.

Phase one of the hub’s construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

CCS innovation

Aramco’s work with Carbon Clean will involve trialling its CCS unit, CycloneCC, at one of its facilities.

Carbon Clean says the unit will be installed on a sales gas compressor turbine exhaust gas stack and capture CO2 from natural gas turbine exhaust streams containing around 4% CO2.

CycloneCC operates using two process intensification technologies, rotating packed beds and a proprietary solvent made from amine-promoted buffer salts.

The startup says these technologies allow a CycloneCC unit to be 50% smaller compared to conventional carbon capture process, and 50% cheaper to install. Samsung E&A is expected to deliver the engineering, procurement, and construction of the unit.

Aniruddha Sharma, CEO of Carbon Clean, said: “This first-of-a-kind deployment capturing very low concentrations of CO2 is a key milestone in scaling up and commercialising CycloneCC.

“Its compact, modular design should be easily integrated with gas turbines, delivering high performance carbon capture in an industrial setting where space is typically limited.”