The mountains of the Sultanate of Oman and the northern Emirates may help solve the climate crisis.. How so?

Arabia Weather - The mountains of the Sultanate of Oman, which extend to the north of the United Arab Emirates, may play an important role in combating global warming. The rocks of these mountains, known as ophiolites, are expected to be particularly important in addressing this negatively increasing phenomenon in recent decades. The rocks contain olivine, a substance that absorbs carbon dioxide.

These mountains are a natural source of sequestering about 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. This is shown as a positive step in attempts to combat climate change, as these rocks can be used to contribute to the storage of carbon dioxide and reduce its impact on the environment.

Several Gulf companies are currently exploring technical possibilities to eliminate carbon dioxide, with Omani businessman Talal Hassan establishing a startup called 44.01. This company works in cooperation with ADNOC, Masdar Clean Energy Company and Fujairah Natural Resources Company to inject carbon dioxide, which is taken from the atmosphere and mixed with water, into ophiolites in the emirate of Fujairah.

This technology enables the carbon dioxide to react with the ophiolite within 12 months, forming harmless solid minerals, sealing it off forever. The first pilot project started with a quantity of 10 tons, but 44.01 plans to expand into the billions.

The company also intends to launch a larger project in collaboration with Aircapture, an American direct air capture company, in Oman later in 2024. Ras Al Khaimah Gas Company from Ras Al Khaimah is also planning a similar project, and announced additional plans during COP28 climate summit.

On the other hand, Saudi Aramco studied the possibility of carbon sequestration in basalt rocks in the west of the country.

Vesta, a company based in San Francisco, scatters olivine on beaches, where it decomposes in seawater, helping to neutralize dissolved carbon dioxide. Olivine or crushed basalt can also be spread on farmland, reducing soil acidity, adding nutrients, and sequestering carbon as the rock decomposes.

These methods are complementary rather than alternative technologies for rapidly reducing emissions, according to Qamar Energy CEO Robin M. Mills. Mills considers eliminating residual emissions and storing excess carbon in the air as additional technologies.

Mills points out that the scale required for these operations is huge, but not impossible, given the huge amounts of materials transported by global industries. He notes that results are expected over the next two years from 44.01, Vesta and other initiators, with a focus on proving the effectiveness and safety of affordable storage.

The COP28 climate agreement cites removing carbon dioxide from the air as an important technology. There are several ways to achieve this, including burning biomass such as wood and plant waste and trapping the product underground. Wood can be partially burned to produce “biochar,” which is similar to charcoal and enhances soil fertility as well as sequestering carbon.

There are other methods that use chemicals and heat to remove carbon dioxide from the air, as the Emirati oil company ADNOC and the American oil company Occidental plan to use a specific technology for this purpose. In addition, the way Earth's geological thermostat speeds up is attracting attention, as some minerals react easily with carbon dioxide, especially olivine, the main component of the igneous rocks that make up the oceanic crust.

Source: energy