ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF LOW-CARBON ENERGY RESEARCH

Aramco opens new research center at KAUST and welcomes its first cohort of student interns

Aramco, in line with the global push to address climate change, has announced its ambition of reaching operational net-zero emissions by 2050. This would see it reach net-zero scope-1 and scope-2 greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly owned and operated assets by 2050.

In support of this target, Aramco inaugurated a new research center on the KAUST campus in June 2022. The Aramco Research Center KAUST (ARC KAUST) will employ artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to advance low-carbon solutions and the circular carbon economy. The center adds to Aramco’s growing global research network, spanning nine satellite centers and technology offices and three in-Kingdom research centers.

The center’s upstream portfolio focuses on developing disruptive technologies in bio-based materials, hydrogen conversion and separation, advanced sensing, the internet of things, and robotics and systems research, among other domains. In addition, downstream researchers, engineers and scientists are developing new technologies in carbon capture and utilization, low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, non-metallics, e-fuels, liquids-to-chemicals and advanced transport technologies. Aramco expects to leverage KAUST’s capabilities in areas such as supercomputing and data analytics.

Abdulwahab Al-Ghamdi, Head of the ARC KAUST Upstream Research Center, stated, “We believe these future technologies are unique, and the way to unlock them is through multidisciplinary integration and close collaboration with the world-class research capabilities at KAUST.”

The new center provides an opportunity for the cross-pollination of talent. A number of its personnel are KAUST alumni. At the same time, ARC KAUST offers industry experience to current students in the form of research internships. In its inaugural summer, the center enrolled 10 KAUST interns to support Aramco’s ongoing expansion into the field of AI and advanced materials. Their work resulted in patent applications and the publication of multiple research papers. Additionally, the students have proudly contributed to developing their first technology, which was delivered to Aramco headquarters in Dhahran.

KAUST and Aramco have a number of longstanding research collaborations across a range of fields. The new research center solidifies this partnership and provides a stronger platform for unique research collaboration opportunities.