Astana – September 09, 2026 -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec, HKG: 0386) has co-launched a Low-Carbon Energy Development Cooperation Initiative with Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry, Nazarbayev University's Institute for New Materials and Energy Technologies, and the International Organization for Technological Innovation Cooperation on CCUS (ICTO), aiming to deepen coordination on carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies and standards.
Initiative unveiled at Astana conference draws 230 delegates from dozens of nations
The agreement was announced at the 2026 International CCUS Technology Conference, held September 1-2 in Astana, which gathered more than 230 participants from across the sector. Government, industry and international-organization representatives from China, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada attended the opening session. Discussion topics spanned carbon dioxide capture, geological storage, CO2 mineralization, CCUS hub construction, and the business models and policy frameworks needed for wider deployment.
Sinopec executive calls CCUS a critical climate-mitigation technology
Tian Hongbin, Vice President of Sinopec Group, said global climate action has entered a decisive phase in which CCUS has become a key technology. He noted Sinopec helped establish ICTO and would continue supporting its growth as a global network of leading experts while deepening international cooperation across the CCUS sector.
Sinopec operates China's first 100-km dense-phase CO2 pipeline and 1-million-tonne demonstration project
Sinopec has built China's first 100-kilometer dense-phase CO2 pipeline and commissioned the country's first integrated CCUS demonstration project with an annual capacity of one million tonnes. The company is also conducting a feasibility study with Shell, BASF and China Baowu for China's first open-access CCUS cluster at a 10-million-tonne scale, while preparing a separate one-million-tonne demonstration project at the Shengli oilfield targeting lower-concentration CO2 sources. Together, the projects cover capture from varying CO2 concentrations, enhanced oil recovery and storage.
ICTO network grows to 60 founding members across more than 20 countries
ICTO, established in July 2025, now counts 60 founding members comprising companies, research institutions and experts from more than 20 countries and regions. Sinopec said it will continue working with ICTO and its members to combine engineering experience with international research to advance CCUS technology development and application.