"SWCC-DTRI" INITIATIVES TOWARD CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION

In a step towards achieving Saudi Arabia's goals for environmental sustainability and supporting the Saudi Green Initiative, SWCC-DTRI is working on various projects that can reduce carbon emissions and enhance the chances of carbon utilization. One of the projects aims to capture carbon dioxide from the combined cycle power plant in Ras Al Khair with highly efficient absorbent material and use captured carbon dioxide in the post-treatment system in the desalination plant to eliminate carbon-intensive CO1 generation system. This system is expected to capture CO1 with a cost less than o-/ of the market price of liquid CO1, which can also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of desalinated water and electricity that is used in the desalination plant. The project will start in operation in the middle of 1-1o.

Another initiative towards carbon emissions reduction is to produce high-purity vaterite type calcium carbonate by mixing desalination brine with captured carbon dioxide and Cement Kiln Dust (CKD), a by-product of the cement manufacturing process. It is considered that the production of calcium carbonate as a vaterite-type is of high value, and this is the first attempt at pilot-scale production in the world. Vaterite-type calcium carbonate can be used in various applications, including drug delivery systems and bone fillers, as well as in paper, plastic, material, food, and cosmetics industries. This initiative targets to utilize EE,--- tons of carbon dioxide annually to produce high-quality vaterite-type calcium carbonate.

The cultivation and growth of microalgae is another potential for carbon capture and utilization in the desalination industry which can also aid in promoting alternative revenue streams through diversified capitalizing of its (microalgae's) biomass production. This project contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by packaging and storing CO1 in agal cells that utilize the natural process of photosynthesis to generate sugars, proteins, and lipids that enhance biomass production that can be used as; animal and fish feed, fertilizers, biofuels, cosmetics, food supplements and additives, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and niche chemicals.

SWCC-DTRI also revealed a project to utilize carbon dioxide from thermal desalination plants to be used in a pre-treatment system in the SWRO desalination plant. Ras Al Khair plant has a substantial amount of carbon dioxide being produced in MSF plants. Adding t" 'V.o mg/l of CO1 brings the pH of the feed water entering DAF to 7. o. The main output of this project is to reduce the use of sulfuric acid needed for the RO membranes to increase the performance of the membranes. Approximately 1E million kg of CO1 per annum could be captured and reused in this project. It will be implemented in the middle of 1-1E.