Masdar City, the regional home of technology innovation and R&D in Abu Dhabi, has announced the opening of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Institute’s first Middle East headquarters. The opening was attended by the Institute’s global CEO, Jarad Daniels, who was visiting the region as part of a five-day tour, accompanied by the Institute’s Head of the MENA Region, Dr Mohammed Abu Zahra, and General Manager of Client Engagement, Jeff Erikson. 

The Global CCS Institute is an international think tank with a mission to scale-up carbon capture and storage technology to support the drive to climate neutrality. It aims to work alongside industry and public sector partners to build CCS ambitions in the region in the months and years to come.  

HE Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, said, “Hosting the MENA headquarters of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute underlines Masdar and the UAE’s commitment to practical solutions to climate challenges. Carbon capture technologies are a critical tool for the global response to climate change and there is increasing awareness that widespread adoption will be essential to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. 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, and the addition of the Global CCS Institute will only help promote CCS further. 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 decarbonization efforts, particularly as the UAE prepares to host COP 28 in 2023.”

By basing its regional headquarters in Masdar City, the Global CCS Institute is adding an important area of climate response specialization to the City’s network and will benefit from its exceptional digital infrastructure, advanced regulatory frameworks, and other sustainability-focused R&D initiatives. The Institute has joined other key industry institutions and companies based in Masdar City including, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Siemens Energy, which respectively have their permanent and regional headquarters in the sustainable urban development.

Other major Masdar City tenants include the Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence, Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, Honeywell and start-up incubator, the Catalyst, the region’s first sustainability-focused start-up accelerator.

CEO, Global CCS Institute, Jarad Daniels, said, “Following years of ambition, CCS opportunities are being realized in the Gulf Corporation Council States (GCC) and the progress so far is promising. The region is well positioned to become a leader, both in the CCS market and the energy transition more broadly, and with the Institute’s new regional office in the Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, we aim to be there every step of the way.” 

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% of the world’s CO2 captured by the technology every year. Along with making an inaugural visit to Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the Institute representatives also met with key stakeholders in Dubai and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to discuss opportunities regarding the scale-up of CCS.