UAE to store carbon dioxide in rocks
The carbon mineralization project is part of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's $15 billion investment in decarbonization initiatives.
Several entities in the United Arab Emirates announced a decarbonization initiative that will utilize rocks on Tuesday.
The partnership was established between the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation, the UAE sovereign wealth fund’s renewable energy company Masdar and the London-based decarbonization company 44.01. Together, they will remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by “mineralizing” it into rock formations in the Emirate of Fujairah, according to a press release.
What it means: Carbon capture refers to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The captured carbon is typically stored deep underground in oil and gas reservoirs, coal beds and aquifers.
In carbon mineralization, carbon dioxide becomes a solid material. The process occurs naturally as some rocks store carbon dioxide when they are exposed to it. However, carbon can also be artificially injected into rock formations as well, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
