Jeddah: The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has signed an agreement with Aramco to establish a technology consortium focusing on performance and integrity management of nonmetallics and composites in energy applications (ENERCOMP), according to a press release from KAUST.

Aramco has joined ENERCOMP as a founding member and first research sponsor to further advance nonmetallic materials in the energy sector.

The release stated: "The five-year technology consortium represents a significant university-based R&D investment in nonmetallics and composites in the Kingdom, setting an example of bringing a new technology value chain together to strengthen the Kingdom’s position in the energy and materials transitions."

The joint investment aims to support the Kingdom’s vision toward sustainability and diversification through the development of less energy-intensive and lower carbon-footprint materials.

Aramco will leverage its experience from relevant initiatives such as the Rice University Carbon Hub in the US and the Nonmetallic Innovation Center (NIC) in the UK to support ENERCOMP in transforming fundamental science into deployable integrity management solutions. This will increase industry confidence in the long-term role that nonmetallics and composites can play as an integral part of the materials transition.

Similar to the NIC model, the initiative will encourage other energy sector players to join the consortium and utilize KAUST’s cutting-edge research capabilities in engineering solutions, AI and material science.

Aramco Senior Vice President of Technology Oversight and Coordination Dr. Ali Al-Meshari said: "Through this collaboration, we aim to create an innovation hub for advanced composites in the Kingdom. By focusing on the development and integration of smart and cost-effective sensors in composite materials and applying emerging AI solutions, we can deploy novel integrity management technologies to the energy industry at large."

Director of ENERCOMP and KAUST Professor of Mechanical Engineering Prof. Gilles Lubineau highlighted the significance of this step, saying that ENERCOMP represents a new era of collaboration between KAUST and energy sector leaders. The ambitious industry-focused partnership aims to establish a specialized team at KAUST to support engineering applications of nonmetallics and composites throughout the energy value chain. By supporting the Kingdom's nonmetallic and composite agenda, ENERCOMP will deliver innovative solutions crucial for a sustainable future.