Carbon Dioxide Utilization in the Desalination Sector in Saudi Arabia: An Opportunity for Achieving Negative Emissions

  • Focus Area Climate & Sustainability Climate & Sustainability
  • Type Discussion paper
  • Date 18 December 2024
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Abstract

The global pursuit of sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change has intensified, necessitating innovative approaches that transform traditional carbon-intensive industries into potential carbon sinks. Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is a key tool for achieving net-zero targets by 2060 in Saudi Arabia. The country has set targets to achieve 9 megatons per year (Mt/y) of CCUS by 2027 and 44 Mt/y by 2035. Recent work has characterized the Kingdom’s geological carbon dioxide (CO2) potential as around 445 gigatons (Gt), but to date, there has been no detailed analysis of the CO2 utilization potential in the Kingdom. Current research at KAPSARC aims to review existing and emerging CO2 utilization routes relevant to Saudi Arabia. This paper focuses on evaluating the untapped potential for CO2 utilization in the Kingdom’s desalination sector and explores the potential of this sector to become a carbon sink, thus contributing to carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Results show that, by 2030, the desalination sector in Saudi Arabia could store up to 458 million tons of CO2 annually in the brine discharged from desalination plants, transforming brine into a useful product and reducing environmental impacts while also potentially creating negative emissions. The study recommends that policies are introduced to encourage a circular carbon economy (CCE) approach within industry. Policies and regulations supporting the installation of brine recovery equipment as well as CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) are considered a priority for the desalination sector. Encouraging CCU from atmospheric and biogenic origins is attractive as it provides the potential for carbon removals and offsetting in the desalination sector as Saudi Arabia transitions to a net-zero carbon economy.

Authors

Naser Odeh

Naser Odeh

Principal Fellow- Climate & Sustainability Naser is leading research on carbon dioxide removals (CDRs), bioenergy, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. He holds a BSc…

Naser is leading research on carbon dioxide removals (CDRs), bioenergy, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Energy and Environmental Engineering, and he has 20 years of experience in the U.K. in both academia and consultancy. His main interests are industrial decarbonization, technology innovation, and policy modelling. In the U.K., Naser led the conceptualization of the U.K. government-funded BIOCCUS system, a community-scale biomass pyrolysis-based cogeneration technology with biochar production and CCUS. His current research interests are understanding the challenges and requirements for integrating CDR within industrial processes and assessing the opportunities for carbon utilization in industry in Saudi Arabia as part of the Circular Carbon Economy.

Expertise

  • Carbon Dioxide Removals
  • Industrial Decarbonization
  • Bioenergy
  • CCUS

Publications See all Naser Odeh’s publications

Julian Hunt

Julian Hunt

Mohamad Hejazi

Mohamad Hejazi

Executive Director- Climate & Sustainability Mohamad Hejazi is the executive director for the Climate and Sustainability Program at KAPSARC. He also leads the Climate Change…

Mohamad Hejazi is the executive director for the Climate and Sustainability Program at KAPSARC. He also leads the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership (CAMP) project, and his work focuses on climate change research, climate impacts and adaptation, climate mitigation, integrated assessment modeling, and energy-water-land nexus. Prior to joining KAPSARC, Mohamad worked as a senior research scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where he served as the principal investigator for the Global Change Intersectoral Modeling System project, a multi-million-dollar project that includes over 40 interdisciplinary researchers across many institutions. He has also led and contributed to projects with the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, US-AID, US-EPA, USGS, NASA, and NSF-INFEWS. Mohamad has authored over 100 journal publications, and he has also served as a contributing author to the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment, and the AR6 IPCC WG III report on the mitigation of climate change. Mohamad holds a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Expertise

  • Climate change research
  • Climate impacts and adaptation
  • Climate mitigation
  • Integrated assessment modeling
  • Energy-water-land nexus

Publications See all Mohamad Hejazi’s publications

Thomas Gertin

Thomas Gertin

Senior Manager- Geographic Information Solution Thomas Gertin is a senior manager at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tom has…

Thomas Gertin is a senior manager at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tom has over 15 years of experience in geographic information systems (GIS). He has supported the U.S. State Department on humanitarian analysis products and supporting crowdsourced mapping projects. He has also supported the World Bank as a consultant using his GIS and network analysis expertise. Tom holds a MS in Geoinformatics and Geospatial Intelligence.

Expertise

  • Location Science
  • Accessibility Analysis
  • GIS

Publications See all Thomas Gertin’s publications

Yara Elborolosy

Yara Elborolosy

Yoshihide Wada

Yoshihide Wada

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