BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. Kazakhstan's
national gas company QazaqGaz is looking to leverage Sinopec's
expertise in low-carbon technologies, including carbon capture,
utilization and storage (CCUS).
This was reflected in a press release published by QazaqGaz on
August 5 following a meeting between Chairman of the Management
Board Alibek Zhamauov and Zhao Quanming, General Director of
Sinopec International Energy Investment Holdings in Kazakhstan.
"The parties reviewed prospects for cooperation in low-carbon
development and discussed the application of carbon capture,
utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies as one of the key tools
for reducing the carbon footprint," the company said.
According to QazaqGaz, the meeting focused on opportunities to
apply CCUS solutions in the energy sector and to expand the
exchange of expertise and technological practices in
decarbonization.
Decarbonization has become an increasingly important component
of Kazakhstan's energy strategy as the country seeks to balance
continued hydrocarbon production with its commitment to achieve
carbon neutrality by 2060. Carbon capture, utilization and storage
(CCUS) is regarded as one of the few technologies capable of
significantly reducing emissions from large-scale oil and gas
operations without curtailing production, and has therefore become
a growing focus for national energy companies and international
investors. Kazakhstan's own long-term CCUS roadmap envisions the
creation of several regional carbon capture hubs capable of
handling more than 100 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2060.
Against this backdrop, Sinopec has emerged as one of the
industry's most experienced developers of CCUS projects. The
company operates China's first megaton-scale carbon capture project
at the Qilu Petrochemical-Shengli Oilfield complex, has built the
country's first high-pressure CO₂ transmission pipeline, and is
expanding cooperation with global partners on large-scale carbon
capture initiatives.
Sinopec has also helped establish international platforms for
CCUS technology cooperation involving major energy companies,
including Kazakhstan's national oil and gas sector.
Trend's analysis
shows that the growing interest in CCUS is increasingly being
driven by investment economics. For national energy companies,
access to proven carbon management technologies is becoming an
important factor in maintaining the long-term attractiveness of
upstream projects to international lenders, technology partners and
export markets, particularly as environmental requirements continue
to tighten across major energy-consuming economies.
