Powering the Middle East’s low-carbon LNG future through innovation

Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, discusses how the company’s technologies, from electrified LNG to low-carbon ethylene and integrated hydrogen–CCUS systems, are redefining its role in the global energy transition.

As the global LNG landscape progresses toward lower-carbon solutions, how does Technip Energies plan to support the Middle East developments?    

LNG remains a cornerstone of the global energy mix and it’s an opportunity for the long term. What we’re seeing today is three strong trends shaping this market: the need for secure and affordable access to energy, a steady increase in global demand, and regional policies driving lower-carbon production. And the Middle East, of course, sits right at the center of this dynamic.  

At Technip Energies, we’re helping our clients respond to these trends. Our differentiation lies both in how we execute and how we innovate. Over the past decades, we’ve proven our ability to deliver mid to mega-scale projects, to leverage modular and productised solutions like SnapLNGTM by T.EN, and to advance decarbonisation through electrification and CO₂ capture.  

And this know-how is tangible and recognised by the market. You can see it in action with Ruwais LNG, a landmark project with ADNOC that will be the first LNG export facility in the MENA region to run on clean power. In Oman, Marsa LNG will follow the same path, using renewable energy to produce low-carbon LNG for maritime transport.  

Today, with more than 35% market share of LNG projects reaching FID since 2020, we’re proud to be shaping the next generation of LNG: modularised, electrified, and designed for lower carbon intensity.   

Technip Energies has been advancing technologies in ethylene and refining decarbonisation as well as CCUS. How do you see these innovations reshaping the company’s leadership role in the energy transition over the next decade?  

Indeed, beyond LNG, our leadership also extends to industrial decarbonisation, and ethylene is a great example. For more than 50 years, we’ve designed and delivered some of the world’s largest and most complex ethylene facilities. We hold roughly half of the global licensing market, which says a lot about our experience and, more importantly, the trust of our clients.  

But leadership also means evolution. Over time, our clients’ priorities have changed and so have we. We’ve reworked our technologies to decarbonise ethylene production and make plants more efficient. Our low-emission cracking furnaces, proprietary equipment, and advanced simulation tools now enable up to 30% CO₂ reduction and around 20% energy efficiency improvement.  

With initiatives such as BlueH₂ by T.EN and the Shell–Technip Energies CCUS alliance, how is Technip Energies positioning itself to build integrated low-carbon value chains — from hydrogen production to carbon management — on a global scale?  

In fact, what we’re doing today is connecting the dots across the entire low-carbon value chain, from hydrogen production to carbon management. Our role is to bring proven solutions to our clients at every step of that journey, especially in hard-to-abate industries.  

As you mentioned, we have two flagship solutions that make this possible. First, with BlueH₂ by T.EN™, we deliver scalable hydrogen solutions that can capture up to 99% of CO₂ emissions. Then there’s Canopy by T.EN™, our integrated suite of post-combustion carbon capture solutions for any type of emitter, powered by Shell’s proven CANSOLV® CO₂ Capture System.  

These solutions, combined with our strong integration and execution know-how, make us a trusted partner for low-carbon projects. Because in the end, what our clients need most are proven technologies, scalable solutions, and the confidence that their projects will be delivered successfully.  

This positioning has already led us to two landmarks projects: Net Zero Teesside Power in the UK, the world’s first gas-fired power station with carbon capture, and Blue Point One in the US, the world’s largest low-carbon ammonia plant.  

How can an international company such as Technip Energies have a strong local content across the region?    

Well, while we’re truly a global company, we’ve always believed that success is built through collaboration and proximity. Understanding our clients’ needs, being close to them, and building trust through everyday teamwork, that’s really what makes the difference.  

That’s exactly the spirit behind NT Energies, our joint venture with NMDC Energy based in Abu Dhabi. It brings together strong local execution capabilities with Technip Energies’ global expertise in technology and project management. NT Energies is already delivering real value across the UAE, the wider Middle East, and North Africa, from blue and green hydrogen to CO₂ capture, waste-to-energy, biorefining, and biochemistry.  

What I really like about this model is that it creates a true win-win dynamic: developing local talent, supporting regional economies, and building long-term, trust-based partnerships with our clients.