Middle East CCUS Moves From Plans to Project Delivery

QatarEnergy and SLB Capturi signal a shift from climate plans to concrete carbon capture projects

11 Oct 2025

The Middle East’s carbon capture sector is moving from policy ambition to project delivery, as energy producers and contractors push ahead with large-scale schemes tied to industrial operations.

QatarEnergy is advancing a carbon capture and sequestration project linked to its liquefied natural gas facilities at Ras Laffan, with engineering and construction work awarded for units designed to capture up to 4.1mn tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. By international standards, that would rank among the larger industrial carbon capture installations.

The development reflects a broader shift in the region, where carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is increasingly treated as core infrastructure. Oil and gas exporters are seeking to maintain output while lowering the carbon intensity of their products, amid tighter climate policies in key export markets. Emissions performance is becoming a commercial consideration as well as an environmental one.

Suppliers are also repositioning for execution. SLB Capturi has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese engineering group JGC to pursue collaboration on carbon capture projects. While the agreement stops short of a final investment decision or construction contract, it underlines a growing emphasis on delivery capability.

Technology providers are pairing with established engineering, procurement and construction contractors to strengthen credibility, manage technical risk and reassure investors wary of cost overruns in first-of-a-kind projects.

Analysts describe the shift as a regional turning point. Rystad Energy said in recent analysis that the Middle East is entering an “execution phase” for CCUS, in which success will depend less on headline capacity targets and more on the ability to build and integrate large-scale systems into existing industrial sites.

Significant obstacles remain. Large CCUS projects require complex integration, long development timelines and tight cost control. Delays and budget pressures have affected similar projects in other regions.

Even so, more schemes are progressing into detailed engineering and construction. Partnerships between technology developers and contractors are deepening, and carbon capture is becoming embedded in national energy strategies. The pace and reliability of delivery are likely to shape the region’s role in the next stage of global CCUS deployment.