BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 5. Kazakhstan's national gas company QazaqGaz is looking to leverage Sinopec's expertise in low-carbon technologies, including carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS).
This was reflected in a press release published by QazaqGaz on August 5 following a meeting between Chairman of the Management Board Alibek Zhamauov and Zhao Quanming, General Director of Sinopec International Energy Investment Holdings in Kazakhstan.
"The parties reviewed prospects for cooperation in low-carbon development and discussed the application of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies as one of the key tools for reducing the carbon footprint," the company said.
According to QazaqGaz, the meeting focused on opportunities to apply CCUS solutions in the energy sector and to expand the exchange of expertise and technological practices in decarbonization.
Decarbonization has become an increasingly important component of Kazakhstan's energy strategy as the country seeks to balance continued hydrocarbon production with its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is regarded as one of the few technologies capable of significantly reducing emissions from large-scale oil and gas operations without curtailing production, and has therefore become a growing focus for national energy companies and international investors. Kazakhstan's own long-term CCUS roadmap envisions the creation of several regional carbon capture hubs capable of handling more than 100 million tons of CO₂ annually by 2060.
Against this backdrop, Sinopec has emerged as one of the industry's most experienced developers of CCUS projects. The company operates China's first megaton-scale carbon capture project at the Qilu Petrochemical-Shengli Oilfield complex, has built the country's first high-pressure CO₂ transmission pipeline, and is expanding cooperation with global partners on large-scale carbon capture initiatives.
Sinopec has also helped establish international platforms for CCUS technology cooperation involving major energy companies, including Kazakhstan's national oil and gas sector.
Trend's analysis shows that the growing interest in CCUS is increasingly being driven by investment economics. For national energy companies, access to proven carbon management technologies is becoming an important factor in maintaining the long-term attractiveness of upstream projects to international lenders, technology partners and export markets, particularly as environmental requirements continue to tighten across major energy-consuming economies.
