According to maritime LNG industry body Sea-LNG, Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Sea-LNG member company TotalEnergies and Mulham Basheer Al Jarf, Chairman of OQ, the Oman National Oil Company, have announced a Final Investment Decision (FID) of the Marsa LNG project in the Sultanate of Oman.
The pioneering project will see a 1 Mt/y capacity LNG liquefaction plant built in Sohar Port and Freezone – another SEA-LNG Member. The LNG production is expected to start by the first quarter of 2028 and is primarily intended to serve the marine LNG bunker fuel market in the Gulf. LNG quantities not sold as bunker fuel will be off-taken by TotalEnergies (80%) and OQ (20%).
A dedicated 300 MWp PV solar plant will be built to cover 100% of the annual power consumption of the LNG plant, allowing a significant reduction in GHG emissions. The ambition of the Marsa LNG project is to serve as the first LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East, showcasing an available and competitive alternative marine fuel to reduce the shipping industry’s emissions.
The Marsa LNG plant will be 100% electrically driven and supplied with solar power, positioning the site as one of the lowest GHG emissions intensity LNG plants worldwide, with a GHG intensity below 3kg CO2e/boe, representing a reduction in emissions of more than 90% compared to conventional plants. This nearby access to renewable energy sources opens up the potential for renewable synthetic e-LNG production.
Pouyanné said: “We are proud to open a new chapter in our history in the Sultanate of Oman with the launch of the Marsa LNG project, together with our partner OQ, demonstrating our long-term commitment to the country. We are especially pleased to deploy the two pillars of our transition strategy, LNG and renewables, and thus support the Sultanate on a new scale in the sustainable development of its energy resources. This very innovative project illustrates our pioneer spirit and showcases the relevance of our integrated multi-energy strategy, with the ambition of being a responsible player in the energy transition. By paving the way for the next generation of very low-emission LNG plants, Marsa LNG is contributing to making gas a long-term transition energy.”
TotalEnergies has also highlighted its support for the role of LNG in shipping’s energy transition: Marine LNG sharply reduces emissions from ships and significantly improves air quality, in particular when at berth, for the benefit of port cities and communities in coastal areas. Used as a marine fuel, LNG helps to cut GHG emissions by up to 23% compared to conventional marine fuel and has the potential to reduce emissions significantly more if bio or synthetic LNG is used. As such, marine LNG is seen as a sustainable, affordable and immediately available way of reducing emissions in the shipping sector.
Image: Proposed LNG plant and bunker facility in Oman (source: Sea-LNG)
