Can Modular Design Unlock the Future of CCUS?

Carbon Clean and Samsung E&A seek faster, lower-cost deployment of CCUS, with implications for Middle East industry

6 Nov 2025

Carbon capture is moving into a more execution-focused phase, as companies seek to deploy projects faster and at lower cost. A new partnership between Carbon Clean and Samsung E&A reflects this shift from long-term ambition to practical delivery at scale.

In early November, the two groups announced a collaboration to accelerate the rollout of modular carbon capture systems. While the technology is intended for global use, it has particular relevance for the Middle East, where governments are pursuing industrial decarbonisation alongside established oil, gas and petrochemical operations.

At the centre of the agreement is Carbon Clean’s CycloneCC technology, a compact and modular system designed to simplify installation compared with conventional, site-specific plants. Traditional carbon capture facilities are often engineered as bespoke projects, requiring significant on-site construction and lengthy shutdowns. Modular units, by contrast, are prefabricated and assembled more quickly, reducing construction complexity and limiting operational disruption.

These features are significant for industrial clusters in the Gulf, where refineries and gas processing plants often operate in close proximity and where outages carry high costs. A smaller footprint and shorter installation window could widen the range of facilities able to adopt carbon capture, particularly where space constraints have previously limited options.

Carbon Clean has described the collaboration as a route to deploying modular capture at scale. Samsung E&A has emphasised improved execution speed and delivery performance. Together, the companies’ statements point to a broader industry recalibration. As carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects move from feasibility studies to construction, investors and operators are placing greater weight on buildability, repeatability and predictable delivery.

Analysts have long noted that first-of-a-kind carbon capture projects have been prone to cost overruns, in part because each installation is treated as a custom build. Modular systems seek to standardise design and manufacturing, allowing capture units to be replicated across multiple sites.

Industrial facilities, however, vary widely, and integration with existing infrastructure remains a technical challenge. Long-term reliability and operating performance will be closely scrutinised as projects are deployed.

For now, the partnership signals a shift in emphasis: from designing capture systems to delivering them efficiently, particularly in regions where industrial emissions remain high and policy support for CCUS is strengthening.