Aramco launches Kingdom’s first CO2 direct air capture test unit

Aramco has launched the Kingdom’s first CO₂ direct air capture (DAC) test unit, capable of removing 12 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) per year from the atmosphere. The pilot plant, developed in collaboration with Siemens Energy, represents a significant step in our efforts to expand on our DAC capabilities. 

Aramco intends to use the facility as a testing platform for next-generation CO₂  capture materials in Saudi Arabia’s distinct climate. We will also seek to achieve cost reductions that could help accelerate the deployment of DAC technologies in the region. 

Aramco and Siemens Energy intend to continue working closely together in an effort to scale up the technology, potentially laying the foundations for large-scale DAC facilities in the future. 

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.”
— Ali A. Al-Meshari, Aramco senior vice president of Technology Oversight and Coordination

Such projects illustrate Aramco’s strong focus on carbon capture, which represents a key pillar in our ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across wholly-owned operated assets by 2050. We are exploring options to capture CO₂  both at the point of emissions and directly from the atmosphere, through our circular carbon economy approach and the deployment of innovative technology solutions.

The launch of the DAC test facility 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 hub in Jubail. Phase 1 of the CCS hub will have the capacity to capture 9 million tonnes of CO₂  from three Aramco gas plants and other industrial sources.