ADNOC Diversifies into Carbon Management with Strategic Stake in Storegga

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Key Impact Points:

  • ADNOC’s Equity Stake in Storegga: ADNOC has acquired a 10.1% stake in Storegga, a UK-based company specializing in carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, marking its first international equity investment in carbon management platforms.
  • Enhancing Carbon Management Capabilities: This strategic investment aligns with ADNOC’s strategy to enhance its carbon management portfolio and support global decarbonization efforts.
  • Commitment to Carbon Capture Expansion: ADNOC aims to increase its carbon capture capacity to 10 million tonnes per annum by 2030, contributing significantly to carbon emission reductions.
  • Storegga’s Global CCS Projects: Storegga is involved in several international CCS projects, including the Acorn CCS project in the UK, the Trudavang project in Norway, and the Harvest Bend project in the United States, all aimed at large-scale CO2 storage.

ADNOC announced it has taken a 10.1% equity stake in Storegga to become a lead investor in the UK-based company that focuses on the development of global carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. 

The strategic transaction represents ADNOC’s first international equity investment in carbon management and supports the company’s strategy to leverage carbon management partnerships and technology to advance global carbon capture and storage projects that can accelerate decarbonization. The investment is enabled by ADNOC’s initial allocation of $15 billion (AED55 billion) to low-carbon solutions and decarbonization technologies. 

ADNOC is targeting a carbon capture capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030, equivalent to taking over 2 million internal combustion vehicles off the road. 

Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Executive Director for Low Carbon Solutions and International Growth, said: “This strategic investment marks an important milestone in ADNOC’s decarbonization journey and highlights our commitment to work with partners across industries to deliver practical solutions to enable a net zero energy future. Carbon capture is an important tool to responsibly reduce carbon emissions and meet global climate goals and ADNOC will continue to scale-up this technology as we work towards net zero by 2045.” 

ADNOC’s carbon management strategy aligns with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) view that carbon capture and storage is a critical enabler for the world to achieve net zero by mid-century. 

Nick Cooper, CEO, Storegga, said, “Strategic collaborations are crucial for a pragmatic, prompt and affordable transition to a low-carbon future.  Storegga is therefore ready to stand alongside traditional energy suppliers to accelerate decarbonization by deploying cost-effective CCS globally.

Over the past three years we have transformed from a single-project developer in Scotland to an international force driving global decarbonization efforts. We are excited to now see ADNOC join our shareholder group. Storegga is fortunate to be backed by investors with the necessary vision and ambition for the rapid deployment of CCS and carbon removal technologies that are imperative for meeting the global net zero objectives.” 

Related Article: Ørsted Launches Construction of Denmark’s First Full-Scale Carbon Capture Project

Storegga has a portfolio of carbon capture projects in the UK, US and Norway. In the UK, Storegga is leading the development of the Acorn CCS project, which is poised to store up to 10 million tonnes of CO2 per annum  by 2030. The company was recently awarded a license, with partners, to develop the Trudavang CCS project in Norway and is developing a number of CCS opportunities in the United States, the most advanced of which is the Harvest Bend CCS project in Louisiana. 

ADNOC operates Al Reyadah, the world’s first commercial scale operation to capture and store CO2 from the steel industry, with a capacity of 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Recently, ADNOC announced major carbon capture projects, taking its committed investment for carbon capture capacity to almost 4 mtpa. ADNOC is also one of 50 founding signatories of the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC). Launched during COP28 in Dubai, the OGDC is a global commitment to speed up climate action across the industry.