Two UAE startups selected as finalists in Adnoc’s global Decarbonization Technology Challenge: UAE startups Emirati CO2 Group and Oxygenate Bamboo were among 10 finalists selected for a chance to earn USD 1 mn in pilot prizes as part of Adnoc’s Decarbonization Technology Challenge, according to a company statement published on Thursday. The finalists — who were selected from among 650 entries — will make the last pitch for their innovations in December. Adnoc’s Challenge — launched in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), BP, Hub71, and Net Zero Technology Centre in May — invited startups specializing in carbon capture and utilization (CCU), AI, hydrogen, renewables, batteries, and nature-based solutions to pitch their innovations for a cash prize along with access to the Adnoc’s Research and Innovation Center.

About Emirati CO2 Group: Emirati CO2 Group specializes in direct air capture coupled with desalination plants for CO2 mineralization, the statement explained. The group uses solid material to capture CO2 from the air, then utilizes waste-reject brine from desalination plants to remove CO2 from the system and mineralize it into a valuable product, according to a statement. The team was formed last year with the goal of participating in the XPrize Carbon Removal Competition — funded by Elon Musk and the Musk Foundation — in which their project was ranked in the top 35 among around 1.2k participants worldwide.

About Oxygenate Bamboo: Oxygenate Bamboo works on building plantations with genetically modified bamboo saplings to maximize CO2 sequestration. Oxygenate Bamboo reduces both atmospheric temperature by 5-7°C, and wind speeds and dust levels by 60-90%, according to a company statement. It also sequesters as much as four times more carbon dioxide and releases 35% more oxygen than wild bamboo, absorbing as much as 400 kg of CO2 and releasing 320 kg of oxygen annually per bamboo. The UAE company uses native bamboo species due to their ability to grow faster than any other plant on Earth. Last month, Oxygenate was selected for the Irena NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator Programme for Youth 2023 edition.

The remaining spots went to startups from the UK, US, Canada, and the Netherlands: The other eight startups selected were CCU International, a British company developing a pressure-swing adsorption-based CCU technology for industrial facilities; CO2CirculAir, a Dutch company pioneering the capture of CO2 from the air using natural wind; Active Surfaces, a US company producing ultra-light-weight flexible solar films; Desolenator, a Dutch company pioneering a circular solar thermal water desalination system; Basetwo AI, a Canadian company using cognitive AI to reduce emissions from downstream oil and gas operations; Oxford Flow, a British company producing control and stemless valves to eliminate fugitive emissions; Revterra, a US company producing kinetic batteries to help decarbonize remote operations; and Nunafab Corp, a Canadian company innovating composite pipe technology for hydrogen transportation.