Aramco has unveiled Saudi Arabia’s first ‘CO2 Direct Air Capture (DAC) test unit’, which is capable of eliminating 12 tons of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere.
Developed in collaboration with Siemens Energy, the launch marks a key step in the company’s commitment to expanding its DAC capabilities. Aramco plans to use the facility as a testing platform for next-generation CO2 capture materials in Saudi Arabia’s distinct climate.
The cutting-edge DAC test facility will also aim to achieve cost reductions that could help accelerate the deployment of DAC technologies in the region. Aramco and Siemens Energy are set to continue working together with the aim of scaling up the technology, potentially laying the foundations for large-scale DAC facilities in the future.
Ali A. Al-Meshari Senior Vice President of Technology Oversight and Coordination – Aramco
“Technologies that directly capture carbon dioxide from the air will likely play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions moving forward, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors. The test facility launched by Aramco is a key step in our efforts to scale up viable DAC systems, for deployment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. In addition to helping address emissions, the CO2 extracted through this process can in turn be used to produce more sustainable chemicals and fuels.”
This highlights Aramco’s strong focus on carbon capture, which represents a key pillar in the company’s ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly-owned operated assets by 2050.
Aramco is exploring options to capture CO2 both at the point of emissions and directly from the atmosphere, through its circular carbon economy approach and the deployment of innovative technology solutions.
This launch follows the December 2024 announcement that Aramco and its partners, Linde and SLB, had signed a shareholders’ agreement that paves the way for the development of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) hub in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Initial phase of the CCS hub will have the capacity to capture nine million tons of CO2 from three Aramco gas plants and other industrial sources.
