The Middle East is set to welcome its first LNG bunkering facility as construction begins on the $1.6 billion Marsa LNG plant at the Port of Sohar in Oman. Spearheaded by TotalEnergies and OQ Exploration and Production (OQEP), the groundbreaking marks a major milestone in the region’s maritime fuel transition. Five years in development, the project aims to transform Oman into a key LNG hub for the Gulf.
Marsa LNG, a joint venture with TotalEnergies holding an 80% stake and OQEP 20%, will operate a 1 million tonnes per year liquefaction facility at Sohar Port and Freezone. This location, a strategic shipping corridor that recorded over 3,000 vessel calls in 2024, will support LNG bunkering for various vessels including containerships, tankers, and cruise ships. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in Q1 2028.
A dedicated bunkering vessel, Monte Shams, with a capacity of 18,600 cbm, is under construction and will be stationed at Sohar from 2028 to service regional marine traffic.
Feedstock for the plant will come from the Mabrouk North-East field in Block 10, where Marsa holds a 33.19% interest, ensuring a stable gas supply at 150 million cubic feet per day.
Notably, the Marsa facility is designed as one of the world’s lowest carbon-intensity LNG plants. It will be fully electrified and powered by a 300 MW solar farm, emphasizing sustainability and emissions reduction. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné highlighted the project as a benchmark for low-emissions LNG infrastructure, supporting maritime decarbonization at the Gulf’s gateway.
This development expands TotalEnergies’ global LNG bunkering footprint, joining its existing operations in Rotterdam, Marseille-Fos, and Singapore.
Source: Swifteradio.com
