French energy giant TotalEnergies and OQ Exploration and Production (OQEP), Oman's national oil company, have held the ground breaking ceremony for the Marsa LNG plant, marking the start of construction of the Marsa LNG plant in the port of Sohar, northern Oman.
The ground breaking ceremony was held one year after the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project, which will feature a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant completely powered by renewable energy that will produce LNG for use as a marine fuel for maritime transportation.
The 1 million ton per year (Mt/y) liquefaction plant is being built by Marsa LNG LLC, a joint company between TotalEnergies (80%) and OQEP (20%).
The LNG production, which is expected to start in the first quarter of 2028, is primarily intended to serve the marine fuel market (LNG bunkering) in the Gulf.
As one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG plants in the world, 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 have less than 3 kg CO2e/boe of scope 1 and 2 emissions. For reference, this is 90% lower than the average carbon intensity of LNG plants in the world, which stands around 35 kg CO2e/boe1.
Ideally 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 LLC. This vessel, named Monte Shams in reference to the Jabal Shams or the ‘Mountain of the Sun’ in north-eastern Oman, 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).
"I'm very proud to see Marsa LNG breaking ground, alongside our longstanding partner OQEP, and with the strong support from the Sultanate’s authorities.
“This flagship project demonstrates 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.
“We also offer an effective way to support the shipping sector’s energy transition, by providing lower-emissions marine fuel in a key location at the entrance of the Gulf”, said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.