Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and GE Gas Power announced a collaboration to develop a decarbonization roadmap that includes reducing carbon emissions from gas turbines that power ADNOC’s downstream and industrial operations, including the world-scale Ruwais Industrial Complex in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This effort contributes to the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and bolsters ADNOC’s position as one of the least carbon-intensive oil and gas producers in the world. The news builds on ADNOC’s previous renewable energy deal with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) and strengthens the company’s approach to decarbonization while enabling future growth.
Ahmed Omar Abdulla, Senior Vice President, Refining & Petrochemical Asset Management, ADNOC said: “ADNOC’s initiative with GE reinforces our commitment to support the UAE’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and our ongoing commitment to decarbonizing our operations. This agreement is in line with our energy transition strategy and underscores our commitment to sound environmental stewardship while meeting the needs of the world’s growing energy demands. Working together with GE to develop sustainable solutions for power generation also furthers our ambitions to progress hydrogen as a future fuel and will leverage our industry-leading capabilities in carbon capture and storage.”
ADNOC and GE will investigate the use of hydrogen and hydrogen-blended fuels for low-carbon power generation; the introduction of ammonia as a fuel for ADNOC’s GE gas turbines; the integration of carbon capture technologies at ADNOC’s power generation facilities; and joint research and development (R&D) programs to develop innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions from gas-based power generation.
Joseph Anis, President and CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East, and Africa said: “Energy-intensive industries such as oil and gas, smelters, petrochemicals, aviation, and others, will play an important role in the UAE’s energy transition. Hydrogen and hydrogen-blended fuels, ammonia, and carbon capture solutions, offer pathways to near-zero carbon emissions from gas power generation, without compromising on the reliability of electricity supplies – this is critical for industrial growth. We are honored to work with ADNOC to explore solutions to decarbonize their gas turbines and thank them for their trust in us.”
The announcement is a continuation of ADNOC and GE’s collaboration to improve ADNOC’s operational performance and sustainability. ADNOC and GE recently upgraded the efficiency and performance of ADNOC Refining’s General Utilities Plant (GUP) at Ruwais by increasing electricity output while using the same quantity of fuel. Through this new project, GE contributes to ADNOC’s hydrogen expertise by bringing its industry-leading hydrogen experience. Over a hundred GE gas turbines have been operated on hydrogen-containing fuels globally, collecting over 8 million operational hours.
The GUP serves the entire Ruwais Industrial Complex with electricity and water. Additionally, ADNOC is increasing the GUP’s performance and sustainability by developing a waste heat recovery facility. When the facility is completed in 2023, the innovation will boost the site’s thermal efficiency by roughly 30%.
For more than 80 years, GE has contributed to the development of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) energy industry. Today, GE-developed power generation technologies are placed in up to 350 locations throughout the area, accounting for up to half of the GCC’s electricity generation.
