Oman startup 44.01 has developed a new technology that can trap CO2 - a planet-warming gas - permanently underground, removing large amounts of the gas from the atmosphere.
44.01, named after the molecular weight of CO2. The startup mixes CO2 with water and pumps it down into cracks in peridotite, a naturally fractured rock, about 1 kilometer underground. The mixture is pumped down the borehole and seeps into the cracks in the peridotite. Through a process called carbon mineralization, in which certain minerals react with CO2 to form solid carbonates, the CO2 is sequestered, trapped underground, and unable to escape back into the atmosphere.

Peridotite is usually found deep underground, but the deposits in Oman are closer to the surface, allowing scientists to observe its carbon-sequestering abilities.
44.01's technology speeds up the CO2 sequestration process in just a few months, instead of decades as it would take in nature.
44.01 has proven the technology in Oman and the UAE. The company aims to commercialize it in these two countries first, then expand globally.
Test results show that the new technology can currently sequester about 50 - 60 tons of CO2 per day. 44.01 aims to sequester 100 tons of CO2 per day per borehole when the technology is commercialized.
Scientists warn that while carbon capture and sequestration technology can play a significant role in mitigating the effects of climate change, it should not be seen as a panacea. What is important is for countries to drastically reduce their use of fossil fuels, which are the source of emissions.