ADNOC, an Abu-Dhabi energy and petrochemicals group, partnered with Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC), Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), and 44.01, an Omani carbon mineralization startup, to convert CO2 into rock.

The project was deployed in the Fujairah region due to the availability of large supplies of peridotite, a rock formation that naturally reacts with CO2 for mineralization. 

This pilot involves capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and dissolving it in seawater followed by injecting CO2 into peridotite formations underground, to permanently sequester CO2. The solar energy required for the project will be supplied by Masdar. 

This carbon capture and mineralization (CCM) project is planned to start in January 2023 by utilizing 44.01’s carbon sequestration technology at Fujairah, UAE. This project will be the first CCM project undertaken by an energy company in the Middle East.