Aramco works to accelerate DAC development
Direct air capture is still in its infancy, but organisations are seeking to leverage global collaborations and AI to discover new materials, with an aim of scaling up the technology and cutting costs
Direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ is a nascent technology, but one Saudi Aramco has been researching it in collaboration with academic institutions, research organisations and industry partners around the world. One research project with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has led to the discovery of a new material to capture CO₂ from the air, which in turn has instigated development of a process to scale up DAC technology. The discovered material, known as Aramco-KAUST 7, is a nickel-based metal-organic framework with a network-like structure that acts like a sponge, selectively binding to CO₂ to trap it. The trapped CO₂ can then be released from the mate
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
