His Excellency Eng. Awaidha Murshed Al Marar

After over 24 months of planning, the GHGT-15 conference began on 15 March. The conference has developed over the past 20 years to become the preeminent greenhouse gas mitigation conference. For the first time, it was to be hosted in the Middle East, with Khalifa University of Abu Dhabi our esteemed hosts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was rescheduled as a fully virtual experience.


We were honoured to hear from His Excellency Eng. Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Department of Energy - Abu Dhabi, who told attendees of Abu Dhabi's commitment to a responsible energy transition. He remarked that CCUS was a critical technology to the UAE's sustainable future, and also a key part of the country's efforts to develop a balanced solution to the challenges of climate change.


Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Conference Co-chair, Executive Vice President, Khalifa University of Science Technology welcomed all attendees to GHGT-15. He noted that the GHGT-15 conference would highlight the potential of CCUS around the world, and that Khalia University has remained at the forefront of the sustainable energy sector.
Prof. Kelly Thambimuthu

Prof. Kelly Thambimuthu, Chairman of IEAGHG recognised Khalifa University as host of the conference. He noted 2020 not only was the joint warmest on record (with 2016), but also saw the world facing drastic new challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 response has shown how the world can respond collaboratively to one global emergency. But it is a lesson and opportunity on how we should tackle climate change.


Kelly also noted the IEA reports on Energy Technology Perspectives 2020 and the Special Report on CCUS. These reports noted the urgency to mitigate CO2 from the energy sector as a whole, and the means to do so. Whilst CCUS can be deployed now, the role for further innovation was also emphasised by the IEA. CCUS is also a key part of negative emission technologies, and IEAGHG is increasing its coverage of those technologies accordingly.


Dr. Philip Llewellyn, CCUS R&D Manager, TOTAL noted that CCS is a key action to net zero. Within TOTAL, 10% of the R&D budget is devoted to CCUS. Transport and storage of CO2 is also part of this, and TOTAL were honoured to be part of the Northern Lights project in Norway. Dr. Llewellyn concluded that he hoped that projects such as this can be an inspiration to others around the world.


The welcome addresses gave attendees a flavour of what to expect from the four days of GHGT-15, and the virtual platform provided a great way to interact with colleagues and peers alike.


You can register for the GHGT-15 Virtual Conference here: https://sprintexpo.eventsair.com/ghgt21/reg/Site/Register