The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) has joined Carbon Hub, a Rice University-led research initiative aimed at speeding up the energy transition by developing sustainable hydrocarbon uses.
Carbon Hub, which was established in 2019, advocates for a zero-emission future in which clean hydrogen energy and advanced carbon materials are coproduced efficiently and sustainably from hydrocarbons. Aramco has pledged a $10 million, five-year sponsorship to Carbon Hub.
Carbon Hub supports basic science, engineering, and policy research by providing funding and guidance. The goal is to hasten the development and deployment of large-scale technologies that combine the production of clean hydrogen fuel and carbon materials from hydrocarbons. These products are used in the construction, mobility, textile, and food industries in a sustainable manner. Carbon Hub’s technologies emit no CO2 and offer a way to decarbonize the industrial sector while also preserving and expanding manufacturing jobs and promoting economic growth.
Aramco’s corporate initiatives on hydrogen and nonmetallic materials are aligned with Carbon Hub’s focus. Aramco and other Carbon Hub members plan to develop carbon materials with SABIC to potentially replace emissions-intensive materials across a wide range of industries. Steel and other metals, concrete, and soil enhancers are examples. Innovative carbon conductors, for example, could meet market demands for increased electrification while also reducing emissions and environmental impacts associated with copper and aluminum mining.
More than 100 scientists from 20 leading organizations are part of Carbon Hub’s research network. Its business model enables nonprofits, corporations, and government agencies to work together in a transparent manner. Carbon Hub’s model also enables businesses to gain access to intellectual property generated by research breakthroughs and to accelerate the development of multiple technologies at the same time.
