Saudi Arabia launches first Climeworks DAC unit in Riyadh to advance carbon removal technology
RIYADH — Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Sunday inaugurated the first Direct Air Capture (DAC) testing unit by Climeworks within the facilities of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Riyadh.
The mobile unit, now operational, captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, validating Climeworks' pioneering technology under the Kingdom's hot and arid climate.
This marks the company's first such deployment outside colder regions like Iceland and represents a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia's push to lead global climate innovation.
The launch reinforces the Kingdom's commitment to the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) framework and highlights its pursuit of pragmatic, scalable solutions to meet national and global climate goals.
The DAC unit's deployment aims to evaluate its performance in high-temperature conditions, helping assess its suitability for broader application across the region and similar environments worldwide.Hosting the DAC technology at KAPSARC underscores the center's role as a leading energy think tank and an integral part of Saudi Arabia's carbon management and climate strategy.KAPSARC's strengths in techno-economic modeling, policy analysis, and carbon capture research make it a critical partner in advancing the country's net-zero ambitions.The demonstration is part of a broader feasibility study launched following a memorandum of understanding signed between KAPSARC and Climeworks at the Saudi Green Initiative Forum in December 2024.The study explores potential DAC deployment across the Kingdom and supports efforts to localize critical materials and components, paving the way for a domestic carbon removal supply chain.Saudi Arabia aims to scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, with a national goal of capturing and utilizing up to 44 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2035.Large-scale CCUS hubs are being planned in both the Eastern and Western regions to aggregate industrial emissions and enable permanent storage or conversion into valuable products.The initiative also highlights Saudi Arabia's competitive advantages in leading DAC deployment, including abundant renewable energy, advanced infrastructure, and a strategic geographic position.By aligning industrial-scale carbon removal with economic diversification, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a global hub for next-generation climate technologies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
13 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
PIF ranks as world's most valuable and fastest-growing sovereign wealth brand in 2025 — Brand Finance
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been ranked as the world's most valuable and fastest-growing sovereign wealth fund brand for 2025, according to leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance. It marks the second consecutive year the Saudi sovereign wealth fund tops the global list. PIF's brand was valued at $1.2 billion this year, an 11% increase compared to 2024. The fund received an A+ brand strength rating, placing it second globally with a score of 62.9, and seventh in terms of assets under management (AUM) relative to brand value — the only sovereign fund to rank in the top ten in that category. According to Brand Finance's annual report on sovereign wealth funds and asset managers, PIF achieved the fastest brand growth rate in 2025. The report credits this momentum to PIF's expanding asset base, positive performance of Saudi portfolio companies, and the maturation of key projects. The fund's communications efforts and commitment to creating long-term impact also contributed to its brand strength. The Brand Finance ranking, launched in 2024, aims to help organizations understand the value of their brand and how it contributes to overall business performance. It evaluates brand strength based on stakeholder perceptions, financial outcomes, and non-financial benefits such as attracting investment, talent, or media attention. David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, said PIF exemplifies the branding power of high-impact investments, particularly in international sports. 'PIF stands out through major initiatives such as its transformation of Newcastle United into a competitive football club, as well as sponsorships in golf, tennis, and electric motor racing,' Haigh said. PIF continues to focus on achieving its strategic goals of generating sustainable returns and driving economic transformation in Saudi Arabia. It is also among the most influential global investors in shaping future economic sectors. In addition to its brand recognition, PIF ranked first globally in governance, sustainability, and resilience (GSR) performance and commitment, sharing the top spot with a 100% score among 200 sovereign investors in a 2025 report by Global SWF. The fund holds strong credit ratings, with Moody's assigning it an 'Aa3' with a stable outlook, and Fitch giving it an 'A+' rating, also with a stable outlook.
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
Energy minister inaugurates carbon capture unit at KAPSARC
RIYADH: A new test unit for carbon capture technology was inaugurated by Saudi Arabia's energy minister on Sunday following its installation at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh. Developed in partnership with Swiss company Climeworks, the unit is already operational, capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. A key objective of the project is to assess the unit's performance under the Kingdom's harsh climatic conditions and high temperatures, differing from similar technologies employed in colder countries. The inauguration follows an announcement in March from Saudi Aramco, which launched the Kingdom's first direct air capture test unit. The new unit highlights Saudi Arabia's commitment to advancing the circular carbon economy by deploying direct air capture solutions in pursuit of its climate objectives aligned with Vision 2030 sustainability goals. It also demonstrates the economic potential of localizing direct air capture technologies, leveraging the country's vast renewable energy resources. The installation of the unit is part of a broader feasibility study launched after a memorandum of understanding was signed last December during the Saudi Green Initiative Forum. Saudi Arabia has announced a target to capture and utilize up to 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2035 through the development of major Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage hubs in the eastern and western regions. These centers will be designed to collect industrial emissions and convert captured carbon into high-value products. Ongoing studies are also exploring the potential to localize key materials and components of carbon capture systems, enhancing opportunities to build a robust domestic supply chain for the emerging sector.
Saudi Gazette
15 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia launches first Climeworks DAC unit in Riyadh to advance carbon removal technology
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Sunday inaugurated the first Direct Air Capture (DAC) testing unit by Climeworks within the facilities of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Riyadh. The mobile unit, now operational, captures carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, validating Climeworks' pioneering technology under the Kingdom's hot and arid climate. This marks the company's first such deployment outside colder regions like Iceland and represents a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia's push to lead global climate innovation. The launch reinforces the Kingdom's commitment to the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) framework and highlights its pursuit of pragmatic, scalable solutions to meet national and global climate goals. The DAC unit's deployment aims to evaluate its performance in high-temperature conditions, helping assess its suitability for broader application across the region and similar environments the DAC technology at KAPSARC underscores the center's role as a leading energy think tank and an integral part of Saudi Arabia's carbon management and climate strengths in techno-economic modeling, policy analysis, and carbon capture research make it a critical partner in advancing the country's net-zero demonstration is part of a broader feasibility study launched following a memorandum of understanding signed between KAPSARC and Climeworks at the Saudi Green Initiative Forum in December study explores potential DAC deployment across the Kingdom and supports efforts to localize critical materials and components, paving the way for a domestic carbon removal supply Arabia aims to scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, with a national goal of capturing and utilizing up to 44 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by CCUS hubs are being planned in both the Eastern and Western regions to aggregate industrial emissions and enable permanent storage or conversion into valuable initiative also highlights Saudi Arabia's competitive advantages in leading DAC deployment, including abundant renewable energy, advanced infrastructure, and a strategic geographic aligning industrial-scale carbon removal with economic diversification, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a global hub for next-generation climate technologies.
