Multinational TotalEnergies and Oman’s OQ Exploration and Production have broken ground on a 1 mtpa Marsa liquefied natural gas plant at the port of Sohar in northern Oman.
Construction begins a year after the project reached final investment decision. Production is expected to start in Q1 2028, primarily serving the marine fuel (LNG bunkering) market in the Arabian Gulf.
The Marsa LNG plant is fully electrified and combined with a 300 megawatt-peak (MWp) photovoltaic solar farm that will supply the equivalent of the plant’s annual energy needs.
Marsa LNG will therefore be one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG plants in the world, with less than 3 kg CO2e/boe of Scope 1 and 2 emissions. This is 90% lower than the average carbon intensity of LNG plants in the world, which stands around 35 kg CO2e/boe.1
Middle East’s first marine LNG bunkering hub
Located at the entrance to the Gulf, the Marsa LNG site has been selected to establish the first LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East.
A charter contract for a new LNG bunkering vessel has been signed by Marsa LNG.
This vessel, Monte Shams, is under construction and will be stationed in Sohar from 2028, where it will supply LNG to a wide range of vessels (container ships, tankers, large cruise ships).
In the maritime industry, LNG is an immediately available transition fuel allowing a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20% compared with fuel oil.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said this “flagship project” demonstrated that LNG production can be very low carbon, contributing to making gas a long-term transition fuel.
“With an ambitious technical design, we intend to set the standard and pave the way for the next generation of low-emissions LNG plants across the world,” he said.
“We also offer an effective way to support the shipping sector’s energy transition.”
Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, said the project reinforced Oman’s position as a reliable regional hub for clean maritime fuel and aligned with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, particularly in sustainability and industrial innovation.
Yesterday TotalEnergies posted an 18% year-on-year drop in net income in Q1 2025, falling from $5.1bn to $4.2bn, but reported a robust projects pipeline.
