CCUS Ambitions in the Africa Region: Reflections from the Inaugural 2025 Africa CCUS Forum
CCUS Ambitions in the Africa Region: Reflections from the Inaugural 2025 Africa CCUS Forum
20th February 2025
Held in Ben Guerir, Morocco, the Global CCS Institute – alongside the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, IEAGHG, and the Gulf Coast Carbon Centre – co-organised the 2025 Africa CCUS Forum with a mission to strengthen CCUS engagement across Africa. A first-of-its-kind event, the forum welcomed stakeholders from across the continent to participate in discussions tied to carbon management and CCUS.
With vast CO2 storage potential and transboundary CCUS opportunities, Morocco served as an apt hosting ground for the forum. Present to share CCUS and climate ambitions and progress were policy and industry leaders hailing from Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and Egypt, contextualising present-day CCUS discussions in their respective regions and countries. Speakers from Norway, the UAE, Qatar and the United States also took part, sharing their lens and expertise on CCUS project development, partnerships and financing.
The Africa Forum served as a platform to enhance CCUS knowledge sharing while centring the range of CCUS and climate ambitions present in Africa. Below are key insights and takeaways from the event.
The Status of CCS in Africa and Globally
During a presentation providing a snapshot of the status of CCUS, the Institute’s Dr Mohammed Abu Zahra showcased the growing pipeline of CCUS projects and initiatives. Today, there are over 600 CCUS projects in various stages of development, the majority of which are in the North American and European regions.
However, efforts are steadily underway to drive CCUS further in Africa, particularly in countries such as Egypt where pre-existing oil and gas infrastructure can be leveraged to kick-start projects. During a panel discussion on Regional Interconnections of CCUS Clusters, moderated by the Institute’s Senior Events and Communications Lead, Ruth Gebremedhin, the East Mediterranean Gas Forums’ Vasileios Papakostas noted that Egypt has conducted feasibility studies to explore CO2 storage opportunities that can possibly support transboundary projects with countries in Southern Europe and the Middle East.
With additional Africa-based CCUS initiatives pending, countries such as Tunisia, Malawi and Togo have embedded CCUS in their Nationally Determined Contributions1. Along with calls to action on CCUS being raised domestically, international convenings, such as the UNFCCC’s COP, has been a conduit to inch discussions forward, as was dutifully mentioned by the IEAGHG’s General Manager, Tim Dixon.
CCUS Opportunities and Challenges in Africa-based Industries
Despite growing CCUS interest in Africa, forum speakers were clear to contextualise the source of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming: Africa accounts for just under 4% of the global GHG emissions, making it the continent with one of lowest emissions output2. As industrial development begins to take shape, however, CCUS can prove to be a mechanism that supports a sustainable energy transition throughout that process.
Present at the Africa Forum were government stakeholders illustrating the economic growth factors that they are actively pursuing. Senior Technical Advisor with Mauritania’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Moustapha Ould El Bechir, noted that while the country seeks to develop its natural resources to support economic development, sustainability remains at the forefront of this potential growth. To that end, greater consideration is being placed to include CCUS as an option to explore and embed into the country’s climate change mitigation plans and its efforts to have a sustainable approach towards increased industrialisation.
Concurrently, Nigeria has amply developed its energy sector, with oil exports being a key component of the country’s income. However, as Salisu Ibrahim from NLNG voiced during a forum presentation focused on Industrial CCUS Projects in Nigeria, the call for low-carbon products is growing globally and can have subsequent impacts to the country’s demand for energy exports. To support the low-carbon transition while remaining economically competitive, CCUS will need to be considered to support Nigeria’s economy and green transition.
Similarly in North Africa, a large portion of Tunisia’s economy is reliant on a range of exports, of which sustainable products will be increasingly expected. During her presentation on Carbon Markets and International Regulations Related to Carbon Accounting, Tasnime Mansouri, technical advisor with GIZ – Tunisia, correctly relayed to forum attendees that 70% of Tunisia’s exports is directed towards Europe. With Europe now establishing the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) – which serves as a fee on carbon-intensive imported goods – this will have substantial impacts on the demand on Tunisian products. As such, awareness and alignment of climate policies of Tunisia’s greatest importer is critical, added Tasnime Mansouri. The same can be said for Morocco, where the majority of its exports heads to Europe. Capacity building and advocacy efforts will be required to support industries in their pursuit to onboard CCUS as a means to decarbonise.
Financing CCUS in Emerging Economies
Financing mechanisms for CCUS remains varied, as was highlighted during a panel discussion moderated by the Institute’s Business Development Lead, Maryem El Farsaoui. In countries outside of the African continent, the combined support of state and private financing is giving way to growing CCUS markets. In Jubail, Saudi Arabia – a region which provides 8% of the world’s oil resources – steps are being taken to develop low-carbon energy through CCUS, noted Omar Germouni, Senior Strategic Advisor at Energy Solutions Company. With many of its refineries fitted to produce highly concentrated CO2, applying the technology will prove to be cost-effective. Driving this effort is a state-owned energy company, Saudi Aramco, along with private companies, such as SLB and Linde. It’s possible this type of collaboration and financing can be applied in countries such as Nigeria, suggested Mr Germouni.
During the forum, Wael Mohamed Aaminou, Coordinator of the African Carbon Market Program at UM6P’s Africa Business School, noted that the participation of the state, whether it be through subsidies or tax incentives, can often spur innovation and allow new industries to emerge. As CCUS is far from reaching scale in Morocco and other countries in Africa, there is no harm in expecting support from public funds until it can reach maturity.
Building on that point, Dr. Katherine Romanak, a research scientist with the Gulf Coast Carbon Centre, highlighted funding opportunities that emerging economies may be able to unlock – namely, the Green Climate Fund – given that CCUS relates directly to adaptation and mitigation. While CCUS often sees comparisons to innovative renewable energy, the function of CCUS is markedly different, Dr. Romanak accurately noted. CCUS does not produce energy but rather curbs emissions to tackle rising CO2 emissions. Funding accessibility should reflect the value that CCUS brings in climate change mitigation, particularly for emerging economies where the added support is vital.
Next Steps for CCUS in Africa
The Africa CCUS Forum brought together over 100 climate stakeholders from across the continent and beyond. Over a period of two-days, the forum featured over ten sessions, ranging from technical discussions on the application of CCUS across industries, CO2 transport and storage, to more general CCUS and climate discussions uncovering climate strategies in African countries, CCUS roadmaps and project perspectives.
But the conversation on CCUS in Morocco and across the Africa region doesn’t stop there. The Africa Forum reiterated the value of continued collaboration. The path forward for a CCUS scale-up in Africa will be paved both in technical expertise, avid partnerships, advocacy and capacity building.
As an international think tank, the Global CCS Institute looks forward to taking part and facilitating engagements in the African region, building bridges where needed and playing our part in making CCUS ambitions a reality.
The Institute extends our thanks and appreciation to the Africa Forum co-organisers and speakers who shared their knowledge and insights, to all the attendees who shared their time and input, and to Mohammed VI Polytechnic University for generously hosting the event.
[1] https://www.globalccsinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Carbon-management-in-NDCs-Report.pdf
[2] https://www.iea.org/regions/africa/emissions
