The MENA region has one of the highest per capita emissions in the world.

Although the region's total CO2 emissions are not very large globally, the 13 tonnes of CO2 emitted per person every year is not far off double that of Europe at 7.8 tonnes.

With the temperature in the region increasing at a rate double the global average, there is an urgent need for effective carbon management strategies.

This week we look at carbon capture, and how MENA climatetech start-ups are leveraging the strategy in the race to achieving net-zero.

🌍 MENA and Net Zero

We all know what net zero means, right?

Well here’s a quick refresher, just in case.

Net Zero refers to balancing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere with the amount removed from it. 

Achieving this balance is key in addressing climate change.

At present, just 6 out of 17 countries in MENA have set a target for reaching net zero carbon emissions.

So yeah, there’s certainly room for improvement.

🏭 How to decarbonise?

It’s obvious that to effectively lower emissions and combat the severe impacts of climate change, we’re gonna need more than just one magical solution.

In the coming years, expanding and advancing renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower will be pivotal in decarbonising the region’s energy mix. 

(Spoiler alert, that’s where we’ll be turning our attention to next week.)

Additionally, green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, offers a promising solution for sectors that are difficult to electrify.

But the critical strategy we wanted to explore this week is carbon capture.

💨 Carbon capture

According to a recent report published by Oxford University, CO2 removal is now absolutely essential to limit global warming.

It’s of course a process that can happen both naturally and artificially.

• Natural carbon sequestration is a process that occurs in forests, soils, and oceans. Plants, through photosynthesis, absorb CO2 from the air and store it in biomass and soil.

• Artificial methods such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) also show immense promise in industrial and power sectors, especially in the MENA region.

CCUS involves capturing CO2 emissions, transporting them, and securely storing them underground or converting them into useful products.

The region's strategic advantages for CCUS include:

1.  Industries with high greenhouse gas emissions are near vast underground storage areas.

2. Low resistance to CCUS projects due to acceptance of oil and gas industries.

However, it's important not to regard the solution as a silver bullet.

Transition to renewables is still crucial.

Plus, the financial implications of CCUS also can’t be overlooked - it’s still quite expensive.

All that being said, it's undoubtedly a critical tool for sectors where direct emission reductions are challenging.

🤠 Hold on to your hats

Recognising this, several MENA countries are investing in carbon capture. 

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have initiated significant CCUS projects, which together account for around 10% of global CO2 captured each year, and aim to significantly increase capture capacity over the coming years.

These investments indicate a growing regional commitment to mitigating climate impacts while sustaining economic growth.

Let’s look at some of the MENA start-ups leading the decarbonisation charge through carbon capture…

🪨 Here’s 44.01, an Oman-based start-up eliminating CO2 permanently by turning it into rock through natural mineralisation.

• Founded by Talal Hasan, 44.01 won the prestigious Earthshot Prize in 2022, and also recently secured a $1M prize in Elon Musk’s XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition.

💰 Investor lowdown: In 2021, they secured $5M in seed funding led by Apollo Projects, a early-stage investment fund from Max and Sam Altman, with Breakthrough Energy Ventures also participating.

🌬️It's too late to apologise, it's too late:

According to the UN, carbon dioxide removal is now essential to achieve net zero.

Traditional methods of carbon storage are temporary and risky because they often rely on storing carbon in forms or locations where it can potentially be released back into the atmosphere, such as in geological formations that might leak, highlighting the need for lasting, safe solutions.

🤘 Rock on:

44.01 (the molecular weight of CO2, if you were stumped) thinks it’s got the answer.

The company wants to remove CO2 permanently by mineralising it in peridotite, a rock found in abundance in Oman as well as in America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.

How exactly?

Well, by vacuuming CO2 from the atmosphere, separating it from air, and then mixing it with carbonated water and pumping it underground of course. Duh.

Doing so in this way, accelerates a natural mineralisation process in both a safe and scalable way.

Naturally the process takes decades, but with their tech they’re able to convert the CO2 into rock in less than a year.

What's more, unlike carbon ‘storage’, which involves burying CO2 underground in disused oil-wells or aquifers, peridotite mineralisation removes CO2 forever. 

This means there is no requirement for long-term monitoring or insurance, and ultimately makes the process more cost-effective, scalable and safer.

And boy, are people taking notice:

• ADNOC recently partnered with 44.01 back in January 2023 in Fujairah. The pilot was the region’s first CCM project by an energy company

🔮 Flashforward:

44.01 is aiming to expand its operations internationally, enabling local mineralisation without requiring costly CO2 transportation. 

The goal is to have mineralised 1bn tonnes of CO2 by 2040.

They recently announced that they will be partnering with Aircapture to pilot the world's largest peridotite mineralisation project to eliminate CO2 in Oman's Hajar mountains in late 2024.

🎋 Introducing Oxygenate Bamboo! This UAE-based company specialises in planting genetically enhanced bamboo to maximise CO2 sequestration.

Essentially, they're turning bamboo into CO2 hoarders, stockpiling carbon to keep it out of our atmosphere.

• Founded in 2022 by Dr. Arshi Ayub Mohamed Zaveri, they’ve recently been selected for the Irena NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator Programme for Youth 2023 edition highlighting their potential for growth and investment.

💰 Investor low-down: Oxygenate Bamboo is among the top 10 contenders in ADNOC's Global Decarbonisation Technology Challenge 2023, competing for a $1 million prize.

Did we mention they were selected from a pool of over 650 participants?

💨 Climate crisis in the air:

The earth is grappling with a critical climate challenge – rising CO2 levels leading to global warming, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. 

Deforestation has significantly contributed to this crisis, with global deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares in 2022 alone.

This not only exacerbates the greenhouse effect but also diminishes natural carbon sinks, which are crucial ecosystems that absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than they release.

There's an urgent need for effective, scalable solutions for natural carbon sequestration. 

🌿 Enter the unique potential of bamboo!

Bamboo can 

1. Absorb up to 20 times more CO2 than many traditional trees. 

2. Thrive in varied climates. 

3. Regenerate naturally, making it a sustainable choice for large-scale carbon capture efforts.

Nature's own version of a multi-tasker, am I right? 

 Yet, leveraging this potential effectively and sustainably remains a challenge.

🔄 This is where Oxygenate Bamboo steps in

They are establishing plantations with genetically modified bamboo saplings, reporting to each be capable of:

• Absorbing up to 400 kg of CO2 annually.

• Releasing 320 kg of oxygen each year.

• Enhanced carbon sequestration efficiency. 

By selecting native bamboo species known for rapid growth, their approach maximises carbon sequestration, aids in reducing atmospheric temperatures and helps mitigate dust levels. 

🔮 Flashforward: 

Oxygenate Bamboo’s vision is to create the UAE's first large-scale bamboo forest, planting up to 500,000 trees. 

They’re also exploring bamboo's diverse potential, from transforming it into renewable energy forms like oil, CNG, ethanol, and hydrogen, to leveraging it to create sustainable products like bamboo wood and textiles. 

👋 Message from the team

Thanks for reading! Let us know if you enjoyed the latest instalment in our climatetech series?

We’ll see you all again on Friday. Have a question or any feedback? Just hit reply, or provide a rating below.

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