Emva kokukhanya kwelanga lasekuseni, iziko lophando limnyama kwaye lipholile. Apho, phambi kwesikrini esikhulu, injineli yacofa islayidi ukuqala intetho yosuku kubantu ababelapho: Ukuya kwiZero Carbon, yayifundeka ngolu hlobo.
Xa sijonga iislides, eli asiloqela lendalo okanye ingqungquthela yemozulu. I-TIME ifumene ukufikelela kwiziko lophando nophuhliso elihlala liyimfihlo laseSaudi Aramco, inkampani enkulu yamafutha efosili edlula i-Exxon Mobil kunye neChevron. Ngelixa inkampani enkulu yokuthumela ioyile ngaphandle emhlabeni ixakekile ipompa ioyile ekrwada kwaye iyizalisa kwiinqanawa zeenqanawa zaselwandle, ivakalisa ngokuvakalayo iinjongo zayo zokufezekisa ukukhutshwa kwekhabhoni ngo-2060.
Kubantu baseSaudi, isibini kwisithathu sabo singaphantsi kweminyaka engama-35 ubudala, utshintsho lwemozulu aluyonto ikude. Ehlotyeni, amaqondo obushushu aphezulu adla ngokufikelela kwi-120°F. Izazinzulu zemozulu zithe kunyaka ophelileyo zikholelwa ukuba amaqondo obushushu kuMbindi Mpuma anokuba “yingozi ebomini” kwiminyaka ezayo. “La mazwe sele ejongene nengxaki,” utshilo u-Ali Safar, umhlalutyi wengingqi kwi-International Energy Agency eParis. “Banomdla kakhulu.”
AmaSaudi anetyala lokufudumala kwehlabathi: Iingcali zendalo zithi iSaudi Aramco ivelise ngaphezulu kwe-4% yeegesi ezibangela ubushushu emhlabeni ukusukela ngo-1965. Kumda weNtlango yaseArabia, iSaudi Arabia ivelise inani elikhulu leoyile—malunga neebhareli ezingama-267 eebhiliyoni zeerandi zeoyile eziqinisekisiweyo, malunga ne-15 ekhulwini yeerandi zehlabathi—ukususela ngeminyaka yoo-1930, xa izigebenga zaseCalifornia zahlasela umgxobhozo weoyile, zaguqula ubukumkani besizwe baba yindawo enamandla yeoyile yehlabathi.
Kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-80 kamva, ulawulo lweSaudi kwi-oyile aluzange luphele. Ivelisa malunga neebhareli ze-oyile ezizigidi ezili-11 ngosuku – malunga nesinye kwishumi semveliso yehlabathi – kwaye ithengisa iibhareli ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezisi-7 kwiimarike zamazwe ngamazwe, yenzela amalungu osapho lwasebukhosini olulawulayo kunye nenkampani yalo karhulumente, iSaudi Aramco, enenzuzo yayo inyuke yaya kuthi ga kwi-110 yeebhiliyoni zeerandi kunyaka ophelileyo.
Nangona kunjalo, ingxaki yehlabathi ngoku ijonge kwindawo exabisekileyo yeSaudi Arabia emva kweminyaka yemveliso enenzuzo. Phantse onke amazwe athembise ukunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwawo kwamafutha efosili, awona mthombo mkhulu weegesi ezigcina ubushushu emhlabeni. Oku kunokukhokelela kutshintsho olukhulu lwamandla ukusukela oko ixesha leemoto laqala kwiminyaka engaphezu kwekhulu eyadlulayo. Umbuzo weSaudi Arabia kukuba ingaba ingajoyina na ukulwa notshintsho lwemozulu kwihlabathi liphela ngelixa ihlabathi leoyile lihlala linamandla amakhulu, okanye ingaba amandla ayo okwahlulahlula uqoqosho lwayo kude nokuxhomekeka kakhulu kwioyile kuza emva kwexesha, okanye ngenye indlela izithethelela njengesithembiso somlomo. abagxeki. .
Ukuba ukungcakaza kweSaudi Arabia kuyaphumelela, kunokuvela kutshintsho lwamandla ehlabathi njengeyona ndawo inamandla e-fossil fuel ebaluleke kakhulu kwihlabathi, ngelixa ngokumangalisayo liqhayisa ngamandla acocekileyo kunye nesikhululo samandla esicocekileyo ekhaya. “Bathanda ukuba nekhekhe labo baze balitye,” utshilo uJim Crane, ingcali ye-geopolitics yamandla kwiYunivesithi yaseRice eHouston. “Injongo yaseSaudi kukuba yindoda yokugqibela emi kwimarike yeoyile yehlabathi.
Eli lizwe linemali eyaneleyo yokuphumeza izicwangciso zalo ezinkulu. I-Aramco okwangoku yinkampani yesibini exabisekileyo kwihlabathi (emva kwe-Apple) enemali engaphezulu kwe-2.3 trillion yeedola. Le nkampani iphantse yaphinda kabini inzuzo yayo kulo nyaka njengoko amaxabiso ezitishi zepetroli enyuka. Ubutyebi obukhulu beoyile bunike ubukumkani babantu abazizigidi ezingama-35 kuphela impembelelo eyaneleyo yokumisela ngokufanelekileyo izabelo ngaphakathi kwe-OPEC, iqumrhu lamazwe ngamazwe labavelisi beoyile abali-13 abaphambili abanokuchaphazela iimarike zezabelo zehlabathi.
Esi sikhundla sikhethekileyo sisenokuhlala amashumi eminyaka, ingakumbi xa ucinga ukuba inkokeli yeli lizwe, iNkosana yoMqhele uMohammed bin Salman (MBS), ineminyaka engama-37 kuphela ubudala kwaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba ilawule izizukulwana ngezizukulwana.
“Imfuno yeoyile iya kuqhubeka isanda,” utshilo uMphathiswa weZamandla waseSaudi uNkosana u-Abdulaziz bin Salman – umntakwabo ka-MBS – etya iti eofisini yakhe eRiyadh. “Andazi ukuba ikwinqanaba elingakanani na,” utshilo. “Nabani na okuxelela ukuba uyazi ukuba uphila nini, phi, kwaye ungakanani na umhlaba ofana nowephupha.”
NgoFebruwari ophelileyo, i-MBS idlulisele i-$80 yeebhiliyoni kwiinkampani zeoyile kwi-State Investment Fund, okanye i-PIF, i-sovereign wealth fund yelizwe, eyisihlalo sayo. Iimpahla ze-soverend zinyukile ukusukela oko kwaqhambuka i-Netflix, iCarnival Cruise Lines, iiMarriott Hotels, umenzi weemoto zombane waseCalifornia uLucid Motors kunye nezinye izabelo ngexesha lokuvalelwa, okuye kwachaphazeleka kakhulu yi-bhubhane.
Ezi mpahla zinokunceda ekuxhaseni utshintsho lwamandla eSaudi Arabia. Indlela okwenzeka ngayo oku - indlela ukukhutshwa kwekhabhoni "okulawulwa ngayo" - yinkxalabo yabaninzi beenjineli zikarhulumente eziphambili zeli lizwe, utshilo u-Abdulaziz. Le mizamo ivelise umdla kubatyali-mali baseNtshona, abaxhalabileyo malunga nokuxhatshazwa kwamalungelo oluntu eSaudi Arabia ngokuchasene neemfuno zoshishino.
Ngentsasa ebandayo yasebusika emaphethelweni eRiyadh, kwiZiko loPhando lwePetroleum laseKing Abdullah eSaudi Arabia, elaziwa kakhulu ngesifinyezo salo iKAPSARC, malunga neengcali ezili-15 zahlanganisana ukuze zenze icebo leTIME. U-Abdulaziz ubize abaphandi ngokuthi “abafundi bam abaselula, akukho mntu ungaphezulu kwama-30”. Uninzi lwabo lwalungabafazi kwaye uninzi lwabo lwalufunde eMelika.
Ezi zicwangciso ziquka uthungelwano lwezikhululo zokutshaja iimoto zombane kunye neprojekthi yokuhlaziya iiofisi kunye namakhaya aneenkqubo zamandla asetyenziswa kancinci – malunga neeprojekthi ezingama-33 zamandla elanga kunye nomoya ziyakhiwa. Bathi bekungayi kubakho ngxaki ngokuxhasa konke oku ukuba bekukho umyalelo wasebukhosini. “Ukumkani usinike ilungelo lokuphucula zonke izakhiwo ukuze kusetyenziswe kakuhle amandla,” utshilo uMudhyan al-Mudhyan weNational Energy Services Corporation. “Sinemali yethu yokuxhasa zonke iiprojekthi zethu, ngoko ke akufuneki siye ebhankini okanye nakweyiphi na isikhungo sokuboleka imali.”
Mhlawumbi uvavanyo olukhulu lwenzeka eNEOM, isixeko sekamva esineebhiliyoni ezingama-500 zeerandi esakhiwa ukusuka ekuqaleni kumntla-ntshona welizwe. Ngokwethiyori, iya kuba yindawo yokuvavanya iingcamango ezifana neeteksi zomoya kunye nento ebizwa ngokuba yi-hydrogen eluhlaza enikwa amandla ahlaziyekayo, nto leyo i-MBS eziqhayisa ngayo ukuba iya kuvelisa uninzi lombane weNEOM. I-NEOM yakha isityalo sepetroli esiluhlaza esineebhiliyoni ezi-5 zeerandi. “Yindlela ecacileyo ukusuka kwiilabhoratri ukuya kumaziko ophando kunye nokusetyenziswa ngokupheleleyo kobuchwepheshe,” utshilo isazinzulu sejoloji uSadad al-Husseini, owayekhokela ngaphambili icandelo lokuhlola nemveliso le-Aramco kwaye ngoku ukhokela icandelo lokuqikelela nokuvelisa le-Husseini Energy Co., inkampani yokubonisana ngohlalutyo, kwidolophu yaseDhahran eSaudi Aramco. Uphando lwe-Aramco luquka imizamo yokubamba nokusebenzisa kwakhona ikhabhoni ekhutshwa ngamasimi eoli aseSaudi emoyeni. I-Saudi Arabia ixhomekeke kakhulu kwesi sicwangciso ukuhlangabezana neenjongo zayo zokukhupha umbane. Nangona ukusebenza kwayo kusathandabuzeka kakhulu, amaSaudi aqalile ukubamba ikhabhoni ngokuyithutha ukusuka kumasimi egesi entlango ukuya kumafektri akumgama weemayile ezingama-52 ukuze iguqulwe ibe ziikhemikhali zepetroli.
Iinjineli zikwasebenza kwindlela yokuthutha i-hydrogen “eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka” (ethathwe kwigesi yendalo) ukuya eYurophu naseAsia. ISaudi Arabia 2020 yazisa ukuthunyelwa kokuqala kwe-ammonia eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka eJapan ukuze kwenziwe umbane yaza yasayina isivumelwano neJamani sokuphuhlisa i-hydrogen eluhlaza. I-Aramco ikwasebenza ekudaleni amafutha okwenziwa ngomxube wekhabhoni ebanjiweyo kunye ne-hydrogen, ethi iya kunciphisa ungcoliseko oluvela kwimoto eqhelekileyo ngama-80%. Le nkampani ithi iceba ukuqala ukuthengisa ngo-2025.
Inyaniso yokuba kukho inkampani enye yeoyile eSaudi Arabia, kwaye iphantsi korhulumente, imenza akwazi ukuchitha imali ngokukhululekileyo kuphando. “Awuyi kufumana i-Exxon okanye i-Chevron okanye nayiphi na kwezo nkampani igxile kwizinto ezinjalo,” utshilo uHusseini. “Ukuba ubunokuthi, ‘Yenza iprojekthi yophando engayi kuphumelela kwiminyaka engama-20,’ bebenokuthi, ‘Ayisiwo umsebenzi wethu lowo.’
Njengoko benayo imali eninzi esandleni, iinjineli zinethemba lokuvelisa ukuthunyelwa kwamanye amazwe okutsha kweli lizwe, ngakumbi i-hydrogen. “Singadala inkampani yobunjineli ekumgangatho wehlabathi ukuyila izixhobo ze-hydrocarbon okanye izityalo zobukumkani kwaye sinikeze le nkonzo kuye nabani na onomdla,” utshilo uYehia Hoxha, injineli yombane eyaphumelela kwiYunivesithi yaseStanford kwaye ingumlawuli weSebe lezaMandla leSebe lezaMandla. . Kwilizwe eliluhlaza laseSaudi Arabia, ilizwe liza kunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwepetroli yamafutha ngemibhobho emalunga nesigidi seebhareli ngosuku, utshilo. Emva koko angathengisa le oli kwimarike yehlabathi aze afumane malunga ne-100 yezigidi zeerandi ngosuku ngamaxabiso angoku. “Le yindlela esibonise ngayo uqoqosho lweprojekthi,” utshilo uHoxha. Ubize isicwangciso selizwe “sibanzi kwaye siquka zonke izisombululo. Le yindlela yethu yokuvula indlela yezisombululo, kungekuphela nje ukuba yinxalenye yazo,” utshilo.
Izazinzulu zemozulu ziyikhabile le ngxoxo, zityhola iSaudi Arabia “ngokuhlamba impahla eluhlaza” ngokuvakalisa ukuzinikela kwayo ekunciphiseni ukukhutshwa kwekhabhoni ngelixa ijolise ekwandiseni imveliso yeoyile ukuya kwiibhareli ezili-13 lezigidi ngosuku. Ukunciphisa ikhabhoni kweAramco akubandakanyi ukukhutshwa kwegesi okubizwa ngokuba yiScope 3 okuvela ekusetyenzisweni kweoyile, nto leyo izazinzulu ezithi ngumthombo omkhulu weegesi ezigcina ubushushu obuphezulu ezivela kumafutha efosili. “Indlela yeSaudi Aramco yokunciphisa ukukhutshwa kwegesi ayithembekanga,” yatsho ingxelo kaJulayi evela kwiCarbon Tracker Initiative, iqumrhu elicinga ngezimali eliseLondon naseNew York. Le asiyongxaki nje kuphela. ISaudi Arabia ethanda ioyile isenokubona ingeniso yeenkampani zayo zamandla ihla ngenye imini njengoko ihlabathi litshintshela kwizixhobo ezivuselelekayo. “ISaudi Aramco iyanda endaweni yokunciphisa iingozi zotshintsho ejongene nazo,” yatsho ingxelo.
Kude kube kutshanje, bekungacingeki ukuba iSaudi Arabia ingathathwa njengovulindlela kulo naluphi na utyalo-mali lwehlabathi, ingasathethwa ke ngokunciphisa utshintsho lwemozulu, kwaye eneneni abaninzi babekuthandabuza oko. Utyalo-mali lwangaphandle luye lwehla emva kokuba uJamal Khashoggi, intatheli yaseSaudi ehlala eWashington, ebulewe ngo-Okthobha ka-2018 waza wanqunyulwa amalungu eearhente zaseSaudi kwi-consulate yelizwe e-Istanbul, isidumbu sakhe esingazange sifumaneke.
Kunyaka ophelileyo, i-CIA yagqiba kwelokuba i-MBS yayifanele ukuba igunyazise ukubanjwa okanye ukubulawa kukaKhashoggi, ngenxa “yolawulo lwakhe olupheleleyo” kwiinkonzo zokhuseleko zaseSaudi. Phakathi komsindo wehlabathi jikelele malunga nokubulawa okumasikizi, abaphathi beenkampani kunye namagosa aseNtshona bangayilandeli i-Future Investment initiative yaloo nyaka, inkomfa ephambili ye-MBS efana neDavos eRiyadh.
Nangona kunjalo, emva kweminyaka emithathu eswelekile uKhashoggi, abatyali-mali bamanye amazwe babuyele eSaudi Arabia ngendlela enkulu, beye kwingqungquthela ye-MBS Saudi Arabia Green Initiatives ngo-Okthobha ophelileyo kwaye bekhohliswa zizivumelwano ezininzi ezinokubakho kwenye yezona nkqubo zamandla zinkulu kwihlabathi. Njengoko kwaqhambuka imfazwe e-Ukraine, amagosa aseSaudi amema abatyali-mali abaphambili baseWall Street kwimiboniso yendlela eNew York ekuqaleni kuka-Epreli ukuze batyhile isixeko sabo esitsha, i-NEOM, into ebalulekileyo kwisicwangciso sendalo selizwe.
Kukho inkolelo ekhulayo phakathi kwabatyali-mali kunye nabezopolitiko yokuba inkosana inokuphila ixesha elide kunayo nayiphi na inkokheli yehlabathi - yiyo loo nto uMongameli uBiden ekugqibeleni watyelela iRiyadh ngoJulayi waze wachukumisa isandla sikaTouch. “Ingcinga yokuba uza kuyisusa iMBS uze uyitshintshe ngepalamente yaseKhanada ayinangqiqo,” utshilo uDavid Rendell, isazinzulu saseMelika esihlala ixesha elide eRiyadh kunye nombhali wencwadi emalunga neNkosana yoMqhele. “Olunye ukhetho yi-al-Qaeda.”
Bekukho ukukhululeka okucacileyo kokuba ukufa kukaKhashoggi akunampembelelo ingako kwishishini. “Ndicinga ukuba ungatsho ukuba siqhubele phambili,” utshilo uHusseini, umphathi we-Aramco ixesha elide. “Abantu banokuma baze bathi, ‘Hayi, andisayi kuze ndiye apho,’” utshilo. “Kodwa kukho iziseko emhlabeni. Kufuneka uxhase uqoqosho.”
Oku kubonakala kwi-stock exchange yaseSaudi, eyaziwa ngokuba yiTadawul, ephethwe ngurhulumente nge-sovereign wealth fund yayo. Umphathi wayo oyintloko, uKhalid al-Hussan, ukholelwa ukuba malunga ne-14% yezabelo ziphethwe ngabantu abangengabo abaseSaudi, abathenga izabelo ngabatyali-mali abamalunga nama-2,600 abarhweba esidlangalaleni. Xa iTadawul yayidweliswe kancinci ngoDisemba ophelileyo, yahlaselwa ngemirhumo evela kubatyali-mali bamanye amazwe eyayiphindwe kalishumi kunexabiso lesibonelelo, utshilo uHussan. “Ndidibene nabatyali-mali bamazwe ngamazwe abangaphezu kwe-100,” wandixelela ngomhla endafaka ngawo isicelo.
Kodwa ukuze amaSaudi aqhubeke nokutsala abatyali-mali abatsha, aza kufuna ngakumbi (ubuncinane ephepheni) iinkampani ezizimisele ukulwa notshintsho lwemozulu. “Kwixesha elizayo, siza kujongana nolu hlobo loxinzelelo eMelika naseYurophu,” utshilo uHussan. Ngokutsho kwakhe, ukuxhalabela okusingqongileyo “kuya kubakhokela izigqibo zabo zotyalo-mali.”
Kukho inkolelo eqinileyo kwiziko le-R&D laseSaudi Aramco eDhahran yokuba aliyi kuhlala liyinkampani enkulu yeoyile kuphela, kodwa liza kukhula nangona kukho ingxaki yemozulu. Iinjineli zaseSaudi Aramco zikholelwa ukuba ukutshintshela kumandla kufuneka kugxile ekukhupheni ioyile ecocekileyo, kungekhona ekunciphiseni imveliso yayo.
Abaphandi benkampani bathi sele besebenzisana nabenzi beemoto (abangavumanga ukubiza igama) ukutshintshela kwiinjini zehydrogen, ezifana neNissan sedan eluhlaza esebenza ngehydrogen epakwe emnyango wangaphambili. Kufutshane ngemoto ukuya apho kukho indawo entsha yenkampani yobuchwephesha bokwenziwa, ebizwa ngokuba yi-4IR (Industrial Revolution Four). Omnye umboniso ubonisa i-Aramco ityala iimangrove kufutshane nomzi-mveliso wayo omkhulu weoyile eRas Tanura kwiPersian Gulf; izityalo zisebenza njengenkqubo yendalo yokususa iikhabhoni, zikhupha ukukhutshwa emoyeni kwaye zifunxe kwiindawo ezimanzi.
Kodwa intliziyo yesakhiwo se-4IR yindawo enkulu yokulawula ejikelezayo, efana negumbi lokulawula umhlaba le-NASA eHouston. Apho, iinjineli zilandela amanqaku edatha ayi-5 yeebhiliyoni ngexesha langempela ngeedrone ezingama-60 kunye neqela leerobhothi, zilandela yonke ithontsi yeoyile epompelwa yi-Aramco kumakhulu eendawo. Izikrini zijikeleze iindonga, zibonisa uthotho lweegrafu kunye nedatha abathi iinjineli zolwazi zinokuyisebenzisa ukuhlalutya indlela yokuqhubeka nokuvelisa ioyile ngelixa zinciphisa ukukhutshwa komoya. “Konke kumalunga nokusebenza kakuhle kunye nokuzinza,” utshilo umntu njengoko wayendikhokela embindini.
Kwabo balwela indalo, imizamo ye-Aramco ibonakala ngathi yingxaki yokugqibela kwiinzame zeenkampani ezinkulu zeoyile zokuthintela intshukumo yemozulu yehlabathi. “I-Saudi Aramco ayinazicwangciso zokunciphisa imveliso yeoyile negesi ngo-2030,” litshilo iqela lezomthetho wendalo lamazwe ngamazwe i-ClientEarth kwingxelo. Lithi urhulumente “unembali ende yokulwa notshintsho lwemozulu.”
Abahlalutyi bamandla bathi amaSaudi, avelise ioyile ngexabiso eliphantsi kunaye nabani na ukususela ngeminyaka yoo-1930, akwimeko entle yokufumana isisombululo kwingxaki yemozulu aze ayisebenzise. “Baqokelele amava amaninzi kunye nobuchule. Baneziseko zophuhliso lwemibhobho, iziseko zophuhliso lwezibuko,” utshilo uSafar we-IEA. Ilizwe ngoku kufuneka liyeke ukuthembela kakhulu kwingeniso yeoyile kwaye liye kwimithombo yamandla ecocekileyo - umngeni onzima oneentloko ezimbini, utshilo uSaffar. “Ukuba ungabafumana basebenze kwicala elifanayo, ungenza umahluko ngokwenene,” utshilo. Umbuzo kukuba ngaba abalawuli baseSaudi Arabia bakulungele na ukuyenza loo nto, nokuba basengozini yokufumana inzuzo enkulu. — Salkier Burga, Leslie Dickstein kunye no-Anisha Kohli/New York
Ixesha lokuthumela: Disemba-26-2022