Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Program (IEAGHG) have announced that the 15th International Virtual Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies (GHGT-15) Conference, the principal international gathering on greenhouse mitigation technologies organized once every two years, will be held virtually from 15-18 March 2021 in Abu Dhabi.
This is the first time a GHGT conference has come to the Middle East region to highlight the advantages of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies and to discuss current status and future directions for the CCS deployment.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, GHGT-15 Co-Chair and Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: “Khalifa University is delighted to support multilateral institutions such as the IEAGHG and bring the GHGT-15 conference to Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Abu Dhabi has already adopted advanced carbon mitigation technologies, implementing CCS projects that benefit diverse stakeholders. We believe the conference will adequately highlight newly emerging technologies, while demonstrating the proactive role the UAE continues to play in the sustainable energy area. Our support to this conference stems from Khalifa University’s emphasis on research and its efforts in providing a strong learning ground for tomorrow’s professionals in alternative energy and sustainability through academic and outreach programs.”
Tim Dixon, IEAGHG General Manager, said: “As the premier international conference on carbon capture and storage, (CCS), staff at IEAGHG and the team at Khalifa University have worked incredibly hard to adjust the format to be able provide an engaging and successful platform for this event. This mammoth feat of bringing together and scheduling nearly 600 presentations over the four-day period, will ensure the GHGT authors maintain their platform to share and deliver their results that will provide crucial data and information to the greenhouse gas mitigation audience across the globe.”
The virtual GHGT-15 gains significance following some of Abu Dhabi’s major CCS projects including around 0.8 Mtpa of CO2 that is captured from the Emirates Steel plant as Phase I of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Al Reyadah project.
A recent analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that CCS deployment to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement goals will require investment of around US$9.7 trillion. According to the Global CCS Institute’s report, the next few years could feasibly see an unprecedented take-off of CCS in the Middle East, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, perhaps to the point that the region could evolve to be a critical ‘global hotspot’ for CCS.
Clarence Michael
English Editor Specialist
10 March 2021
