Talal Hasan

Can you tell us about your peridotite mineralization technology and how it places Oman at the forefront of green practices?

Our technology eliminates CO2 using a special rock called peridotite that is found in abundance in Oman. When peridotite comes in contact with CO2, it naturally mineralizes it. Our technology speeds up this natural reaction so that the CO2 turns to rock in months rather than decades. Once the CO2 has been mineralized it cannot escape back into the atmosphere, making this a truly permanent carbon removal solution. We have conducted successful pilot projects in Oman and the UAE and we are now scaling up.

How would you assess the potential for your solutions to eliminate excess CO2 in the region?

Our technology is limited by the rock we can use, though the good news is that peridotite is found all over the world. Oman and the UAE are the two most abundant sources of peridotite in the world, but our aim is to export our technology internationally. There are great peridotite resources on the west coast of the US, in Canada, Europe, Africa, Australasia and Japan. Those are the markets we will expand over time.

What economic challenges and opportunities do you see in the sector for Oman, and which sectors can best act as early adopters of the technology?

This is the first time anyone has attempted such an initiative with this type of rock, and we have been impressed by the way our technology has been accepted here. We believe this was driven by Vision 2040, which has an environmental aspect and helped us gain traction with the decision makers. We can take CO2 directly from the atmosphere and we can help heavy industries to decarbonize. We are already off-taking CO2 from several industries in Oman. It is hard to pin down one sector because the application is wide. Oman is a great place for us to work, not just because of the abundance of peridotite, but also because we have access to talent from oil and gas. That and the energy ecosystem make it a great place to build green technology.