The Oil Ministry and Eni are implementing a pilot carbon capture project at the Italian energy firm’s Meleiha concessions in the Western Desert, according to a ministry statement. The pilot project — which marks Egypt’s first carbon capture initiative — is being implemented at a cost of USD 25 mn and aims to store some 25-30k tons of carbon dioxide each year. If successful, similar schemes will be rolled out in other locations, the statement read.

Stay tuned at COP: The Italian firm is set to announce more details on the initiative at the COP 27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh in November, where carbon capture and storage (CCUS) is set to be a major theme.

Eni is increasing its carbon capture footprint and is developing projects in a number of countries. Its HyNet North West project in the UK has ambitions to capture and store 10 mn tons of industrial CO2 every year by 2030, while an initiative off the Italian coast aims to use a depleted natural gas field to store CO2. Outside of Europe, the company is working on CCUS projects at gas fields in the UAE and Libya.

It isn’t the only international firm eyeing CCUS projects in Egypt: The Oil Ministry signed 11 MoUs with international firms on CCUS projects at the Egypt Petroleum Show in February, according to the statement, and is now working to prepare studies on the potential projects. US conglomerate Honeywell is among the international firms looking to provide CCUS technology and contribute to climate-friendly initiatives ahead of COP27. EGAS, the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company, and Japan’s Toyota Tshusho in September signed an MoU on joint blue hydrogen projects using Japanese carbon capture technology. Mitsubishi has also expressed interest in working with the Oil Ministry on carbon capture.

ALSO FROM THE MINISTRY –

The Oil Ministry is planning some USD 1.25 bn worth of green petrochemical projects. They include:

• A USD 600 mn biofuel production plant, which is expected to produce 350k tons of biofuels from algae oil per year and cut CO2 emissions by up to 1.2 mn tons annually;
• A USD 600 mn biodegradable plastics factory, which will produce 75k tons of plastics annually and reduce emissions by around 45k tons per year;
• A USD 50 mn plastic waste recycling project, which would see old plastics converted to 30k tons of oil annually to make new plastics, reducing CO2 emissions by some 63k tons per year.

ALSO IN THE PIPELINE- Another green MDF factory: A USD 300 mn factory will produce wood panels from rice straw, reducing air pollution caused by the burning of the straw at the end of the harvest season. The ministry says this will prevent the release of around 360k tons of CO2 emissions each year.