MUSCAT: Omani award-winning climate tech startup 44.01 has announced the formal commencement of its Carbon Capture and Mineralisation (CCM) pilot at Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
The pilot, which harnesses 44.01’s Earthshot Prize-winning technology, seeks to capture planet-warming CO2 from the atmosphere by trapping it in rock through a proprietary mineralization process. When scaled up, the technology has the potential to support large-scale CO2 elimination from the atmosphere and help arrest the warming of Planet Earth.
The announcement is the first since 44.01, founded by Omani entrepreneur Talal Hasan, signed a partnership agreement earlier this year with UAE state-owned energy giant ADNOC, along with Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation (FNRC) and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) to pilot its technology to permanently mineralize CO2 within rock formations found in the Emirate of Fujairah.
“Preparations for our first project in the UAE are well underway,” said Muscat-based 44.01 in a post on Thursday.
“Our Direct Air Capture + Mineralisation pilot with ADNOC Group, Fujairah Natural Resources Corporation and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) will be the first carbon negative project by an energy company in the Middle East.”
The tech firm further noted: “Mineralisation removes CO2 forever by turning it into rock, meaning it cannot escape back into the atmosphere. We're looking forward to scaling up our permanent carbon removal technology over the coming months.”
In an earlier statement, 44.01 Founder and CEO Talal Hasan had emphasized the potential of Carbon Carbon & Mineralisation technology in helping reverse climate change.
“Removing CO2 from the atmosphere is vital if we are to halt and ultimately reverse climate change. Unlike CO2 storage, mineralization removes CO2 permanently by turning it into rock, minimizing the need for long-term monitoring and insurance. This pilot will enable us to test our technology at scale, on our way to offering a safe, cost-effective, natural solution for eliminating captured CO2 internationally,” the CEO had stressed.
Last December, 44.01 was named the winner of the 2022 Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation to recognise ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet.
44.01’s carbon removal solutions have previously received recognition and support from, among others, the Musk Foundation via XPRIZE, Shopify and Stripe.
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