Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has awarded a contract to UAE-based engineering company Dodsal Group to build a carbon capture facility at a steel plant in Abu Dhabi.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) package is part of the first phase of Masdar’s planned carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) project, which aims to recover carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from several industrial and power facilities.

Dodsal submitted the lowest EPC bid for the contract ahead of several other companies, including: Taiwan’s CTCI Corporation; Japan-based Chiyoda Corporation; Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC); South Korean group GS E&C; and Spain’s Intecsa Industrial in a joint bid with the local Alsa E&C.

Dodsal’s contract covers the construction of a carbon capture facility adjacent to the Emirates Steel Industries’ rolling mill in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, and a pipeline delivering CO2 to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc). The facilities are expected to capture and process up to 800,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of CO2 produced by the rolling mill.

Adnoc will use the CO2 to replace the natural gas currently being re-injected into oil fields for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to increase reservoir pressure. The scheme is designed to reduce CO2 emissions and free up natural gas for use in Abu Dhabi’s power and industrial sectors.

Abu Dhabi plans to capture as much as 20 million tonnes a year (t/y) of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 through 15 carbon capture storage projects.

Other sites originally selected by Masdar for the first phase of its CCUS project include the Shuweihat hydrogen power plant, the integrated water and power plant at Taweelah and the Emirates Aluminium power plant.

State-owned Masdar was launched in 2006 to develop renewable energy in Abu Dhabi through education, research and development, investment and commercial projects.