Aramco, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, recently announced the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading American companies to further the development of potential lower-carbon energy solutions. The MoUs were signed in the presence of Minister of Energy for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al Saud and US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. The agreements were made with Aeroseal, Spiritus, and Rondo. Aramco and Aeroseal will explore opportunities to accelerate the deployment of Aeroseal’s technology in building fleets, test building ductwork and envelopes nationwide, commercialize the technology in gas pipelines, and localize the supply chain in Saudi Arabia.
In collaboration with Spiritus, Aramco will explore opportunities in the field of direct air capture. Spiritus offers a novel approach to direct air capture that could address major cost challenges of current methods by reducing energy consumption, employing passive air collection, and using a proprietary sorbent material to enhance carbon removal efficiency. The partnership with Rondo will focus on deploying heat batteries in Aramco’s global facilities to lower operating costs and support emissions reduction initiatives. Engineering studies have begun for a first industrial-scale deployment of Rondo Heat Batteries, with the potential to contribute to emissions reduction from Aramco facilities.
Ali A. Al-Meshari, Senior Vice President of Technology, Oversight & Coordination at Aramco, highlighted the company’s ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly-owned operational assets by 2050. Aramco sees opportunities to develop a lower-carbon energy business through the deployment of innovative technologies at scale, which could help reduce the costs of carbon emissions reduction. The company is investing in developing these technologies through research and development, venture capital, and technology deployment programs. Aramco believes that the technologies of Aeroseal, Spiritus, and Rondo have the potential to scale globally, particularly in the Middle East.
The signing of these MoUs marks a significant step for Aramco in advancing its commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. By partnering with innovative companies like Aeroseal, Spiritus, and Rondo, Aramco aims to leverage cutting-edge technologies to drive environmental progress and support its net zero emissions goals. The collaboration with Aeroseal, which focuses on deploying advanced sealing technology in various applications, has the potential to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions in Aramco’s building fleet and beyond.
The agreement with Spiritus to explore direct air capture technology underscores Aramco’s commitment to exploring new pathways for carbon removal and reduction. Spiritus’ unique approach to direct air capture offers promising opportunities to enhance carbon removal efficiency and reduce energy consumption compared to existing methods. Through this partnership, Aramco aims to leverage Spiritus’ capabilities to advance its sustainability efforts and contribute to global emissions reduction initiatives.
The collaboration with Rondo to deploy heat batteries in Aramco’s facilities represents a strategic move towards enhancing energy storage capacity, reducing operational costs, and supporting emissions reduction initiatives. By implementing heat batteries on an industrial scale, Aramco can potentially achieve significant reductions in emissions from its facilities, contributing to its overall goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This partnership highlights Aramco’s commitment to investing in innovative technologies that have the potential to drive environmental progress and support its long-term sustainability objectives.
