13.1 EDUCATION & RESEARCH
Thinking circular for carbon management
In order to contribute towards the G20-endorsed Circular Carbon Economy ( CCE ) Platform as a tool to manage carbon emissions and foster access to cleaner energy , KAUST launched the
KAUST Circular Carbon Initiative ( CCI ) in 2020 . The aim of CCI is to connect KAUST ’ s research to support the creation of a National Platform for the promotion , adoption , and rapid deployment of CCE technological solutions . Over 2021 and 2022 , KAUST CCI ’ s developed several research projects to address sustainable carbon management , based on its five key thrusts .
Capturing carbon at source
As a carbon capture strategy ,
KAUST researchers have developed a Cryogenic Carbon Capture technology in collaboration with Sustainable Energy Solutions LLC ( USA ). The technology can capture ( remove ) CO
2 from the exhaust gasses of fossil power plants , industrial plants ( e . g ., cement ) or any process that releases CO
2 in the exhaust . In June 2021 , the team completed a Pre-FEED ( Pre- Front End Engineering Design ) study of a 30 tonne / day CO
2 capture commercial-scale system for deployment at the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle plant at Duba in Saudi Arabia .
Cryogenic Carbon Capture Technology
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts |
|
|
|
14 Projects spanning 5 thrusts :
CO2 Capture
Nature- Based Solutions
Geo- Solutions
(* integration with renewable energy sources )
E-Fuels
Researching new low-carbon fuels
Cross- Cutting *
Researchers from the Clean Combustion Research Center at KAUST are actively exploring new low-carbon fuels . In a study published in 2022 , one of the teams generated a fuel derived primarily from renewably generated ammonia , that can power next-generation internal combustion engines ( ICEs ). By blending ammonia with a small amount of dimethyl ether ( DME ), the team produced a liquid fuel with low-temperature combustion properties very similar to gasoline . |
99.99 %
purity of captured CO 2
50 %
more energy efficient *
* Compared to Amine capture technology
Cryogenic Carbon Capture pilot at KAUST
|
30-50 %
Lower Capex and Opex *
|
|
|
13.2 OPERATIONS |
|
Informing the community on the climate footprint of food
Searching for alternative ammonia-based fuels with the potential to replace nonrenewable fossil fuels in the transport sector .
The Students for Sustainability developed an
eco-label system for the campus diner , as part of their
Global University Climate Forum project started in 2021 and concluded in 2022 . The students made an assessment of the ingredients used in the main dishes offered at the campus diner and calculated the water use and generated carbon emissions for each food item . The resulting eco-
30 | KAUST SDG HIGHLIGHT REPORT