HOUSTON, TEXAS (Editors at Energy Analytics Institute, 20.Mar.2025) — Aramco launched the Kingdom’s first CO2 Direct Air Capture (DAC) test unit, capable of removing 12 tons per year (t/y) of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The pilot plant, developed in collaboration with Siemens Energy, represents a significant step in Aramco’s efforts to expand on its DAC capabilities.
The facility will be used by Aramco as a testing platform for next-generation CO2 capture materials in Saudi Arabia’s distinct climate. The pilot looks to achieve cost reductions that could help accelerate the deployment of DAC technologies in the region, Aramco said on 20 Mar. 2025 in an official statement.
“In addition to helping address emissions, the CO2 extracted through this process can in turn be used to produce more sustainable chemicals and fuels,” Aramco senior vice president of technology oversight and coordination Ali A. Al-Meshari said in the statement.
Aramco and Siemens Energy intend to continue working together to scale up the technology, potentially laying the foundations for large-scale DAC facilities in the future.
Carbon capture focus
Such projects illustrate Aramco’s focus on carbon capture, which represents a key pillar in the company’s ambition to achieve net-zero and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) 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.
Launch of the DAC test facility follows the Dec. 2024 announcement that Aramco and its partners, Linde and SLB, signed that paves the way for the development of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) hub in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Phase 1 of the CCS hub will have the capacity to capture 9 million tonnes of CO2 from 3 Aramco gas plants and other industrial sources.
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By Editors at Energy Analytics Institute. © 2025 Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.
