Petrobras has received six commercial proposals in a tender for its first carbon capture and storage (CCS) pilot project in Rio de Janeiro state. The project is part of the company's strategy to produce hydrocarbons more efficiently while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Tender Results and Project Scope

The Portuguese conglomerate Mota-Engil submitted the lowest bid of 274.7 million reais ($53.2 million). It was followed by five local companies, with bids ranging up to 749.6 million reais. More than 50 other companies declined to participate in the tender. The contract, offered for 837 days, covers the supply of goods, civil construction, electromechanical assembly, connection, and commissioning of facilities. Operations for the Sao Tome CCS pilot project are scheduled to begin in 2028.

Project Design and Injection Plans

The project involves capturing carbon dioxide at the Cabiunas natural gas treatment unit (Tecab) in Macae. The captured CO2 will then be transported approximately 78 kilometers to a compression unit at the Barra do Furado station in Quissama. From there, Petrobras plans to inject 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum into a saline reservoir for permanent storage.

Strategic Goals and Technological Validation

The primary goal of this pilot is to validate technologies focused on cost reduction and process safety to enable future commercial-scale CCS initiatives. It is described as a strategic research, development, and innovation enterprise that will test key technologies and methodologies in a real-world environment. These are intended to support the future implementation of CCS hubs in Brazil, both onshore and offshore.

Context within Petrobras's Broader CCUS Program

Petrobras operates the world's largest carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) programme, representing about 28% of global projects. All two dozen of its production platforms in the pre-salt province incorporate CCUS technology associated with enhanced oil recovery. From 2008 to 2024, the company has injected 67.9 million tonnes of CO2 into pre-salt reservoirs, with the pace accelerating since the formal CCUS programme began in 2018. The overarching objective is to reduce carbon emissions per barrel from pre-salt operations, thereby improving the competitiveness of its mega-projects.

Corporate Perspective on Decarbonisation

Company executives frame the oil and gas industry's project management expertise and technological innovation as crucial assets for the energy transition. They argue that significant investment in technology—both for enabling new solutions and reducing costs of existing ones—is essential to accelerate decarbonisation, and that the industry's capabilities are aligned with, not opposed to, this transition.