The construction of a lower-carbon hydrogen demonstration plant at the Shaybah Natural Gas Liquids recovery plant in the Kingdom is the subject of an engineering agreement between Topsoe and the Saudi oil giant that is about to be signed, according to a press statement from the company on October 9, 2023.
In order to manufacture lower-carbon hydrogen for use in power generation, it is anticipated to have a daily production capacity of 6 tons of hydrogen and use renewable electricity in electrified steam reforming of hydrocarbons. As a result, CO2 will be absorbed and stored. Additionally, the business is working with Siemens Energy to create a DAC test unit in Dhahran that can absorb up to 12 tons of CO2 annually. The test unit, which is scheduled to be finished in 2024, will pave the way for a larger pilot plant with a 1,250-ton-per-year CO2 collection capacity.
The oil corporation is also looking into ways to use geothermal energy, which entails turning steam from naturally heated subsurface aquifers into power, to diversify its supply of renewable energy sources. Utilizing modern subsurface technology, three possible locations on Saudi Arabia's west coast have already been located and mapped, and work is currently being done to determine the location's geothermal resource potential.