Saudi oil giant Aramco announces pilot project to suck CO2 out of the air, but some scientists are skeptical

Key Points

• Aramco-Siemens Partnership for DAC: Saudi Arabia’s Aramco has partnered with Siemens Energy AG to develop a small-scale direct air-capture (DAC) “test unit” aimed at managing emissions. The test unit will be constructed in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and is expected to be completed by 2024.
• Challenges and Skepticism Surrounding DAC: DAC is an expensive method of carbon capture, and questions about its efficacy have made some climate scientists skeptical about its long-term potential. Extracting CO2 from the atmosphere after emission is considered more challenging and energy-intensive than capturing it at the source.
• Growing Interest in DAC: Despite the challenges, many companies, particularly tech giants, are investing in DAC technology. Amazon, for instance, has committed to funding the world’s largest DAC deployment. Companies see DAC as a way to offset emissions from their operations, even if it doesn’t entirely replace the need to reduce fossil fuel use. However, experts emphasize that the technology is unproven at scale, and it’s easier to prevent emissions than to remove them from the atmosphere. Aramco and Siemens Energy’s DAC collaboration is still in its early stages, with plans to move to an official pilot phase after completing the test unit. Both companies are also involved in other clean energy technology projects.