TotalEnergies, the world’s third-largest LNG player, and OQ Exploration and Production (OQOP), Oman’s national oil company, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Marsa LNG plant in the port of Sohar, in the northern part of the Sultanate.

The plant is built by Marsa LNG, a joint venture between TotalEnergies (80%) and OQEP (20%), and is set to start LNG production in the first quarter (Q1) of 2028. Due to its location at the entrance of the Gulf, the site of the plant was chosen to build the Middle East’s first LNG bunkering hub.

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. This makes Marsa LNG one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG plants in the world, said a TotalEnergies press release.

“This flagship project demonstrates that LNG production can be very low carbon, contributing to making gas a long-term transition fuel. 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.

“As the first LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East, Marsa LNG will play a pivotal role in reducing emissions in the shipping industry while reinforcing Oman’s position as a key player in the global energy sector”, said Ahmed Al Azkawi, CEO of OQEP.