Carbon capture project delayed

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A decision on whether to proceed with a landmark hydrogen power and carbon capture project in Abu Dhabi has been postponed to late next year, a delay of about 18 months.

But all the partners in the US$2 billion (Dh 7.3bn) development remain committed to it, said a spokesman for the British energy group, BP.

“It’s about getting all the project elements and parties involved aligned to the same timetable,” said Fares Ghneim, the communications manager for BP’s Middle East and South Asia division. “It’s a good thing, because everyone if trying to get on the same page, because the pieces all have to fit together.”

The project, named Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi, is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s government-owned Masdar and Hydrogen Energy, which in turn is a partnership between BP and Rio Tinto, the Anglo-Australian mining and metals company. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is also closely involved, as it has agreed to use the captured carbon dioxide to inject into Abu Dhabi oilfields in “enhanced oil recovery” projects aimed at boosting their output. The waste gas, which has been linked to global warming, would eventually be stored permanently underground in the depleted oil reservoir.

If the development proceeds, it would be the world’s first power project to incorporate carbon capture and storage (CCS) on a commercial scale. The costly and controversial technology, which some environmentalists vehemently oppose but others embrace as essential to fighting climate change, is so far only being tested at the pilot stage in a handful of locations worldwide.

Masdar unveiled the project in January last year, as a centrepiece of Abu Dhabi’s first World Future Energy Summit.