In Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, the Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute has established its first Middle Eastern headquarters.
In order to ensure climate neutrality, the institute, a global think tank, is working to scale up carbon capture and storage technologies. To further CCS goals in the area, it seeks to work with partners in the private and public sectors.
Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and chairman of Masdar, said, “As the first country in the region to deploy CCUS on an industrial scale, the UAE has a proven track record of success as a leader in carbon capture. The addition of the Global CCS Institute will only help promote CCS further.”
He added: “The institute’s mission to accelerate the adoption of carbon capture technologies perfectly aligns with Masdar’s role as an incubator and catalyst for innovative clean technologies. I am confident that the Global CCS Institute will thrive in this environment and continue to make a valuable contribution to global decarbonisation efforts, particularly as the UAE prepares to host COP 28 in 2023.”
Carbon capture and storage is an innovative technology that mitigates climate change impacts by capturing CO2 – typically from a point source at an industrial facility – and storing it beneath the Earth’s surface before it can impact the atmosphere. There are currently three CCS facilities in the GCC region, which account for 10 per cent of the world’s CO2 captured by the technology every year.
The institute’s global CEO, Jarad Daniel said, “The region is well positioned to become a leader, both in the CCS market and the energy transition more broadly. With the Institute’s new regional office in Abu Dhabi, we aim to be there every step of the way.” The organisation joins other significant businesses and institutions in Masdar City, such as Siemens Energy, Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, and Catalyst, the first startup accelerator in the area with a sustainability focus.
