Saudi Aramco has struck a 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. 

As part of its net zero ambitions, Aramco has a target to store up to 14MtCO2/y by 2035, with 9MtCO2/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 taking a 20% share.

The hub is expected to capture around 6MtCO2/y from three Aramco gas plants, and a further 3MtCO2/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.

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.  

This technology demonstration is designed to deploy Carbon Clean’s novel CycloneCC technology to capture CO2 from natural gas turbine exhaust streams containing approximately 4% CO2.

The modular CycloneCC unit has a 50% smaller footprint compared to conventional carbon capture processes, as reported in a recent IFRF CIN article for steel manufacture applications. If successful, the CycloneCC technology is estimated to reduce the total installed cost of carbon capture systems by up to 50% compared to conventional systems, while maintaining high performance and process efficiency even at low CO2 concentrations.

SAMSUNG E&A will deliver the engineering, procurement and construction of the plant. CycloneCC’s performance, even at low CO2 concentrations, is achieved through the combination of two process intensification technologies: rotating packed beds and Carbon Clean’s proprietary APBS-CDRMax solvent.