ADNOC’s Ruwais LNG project reaches 70% production capacity on Shell, bp, TotalEnergies partnership

(WO) – On Wednesday, ADNOC confirmed that bp, Mitsui & Co., Shell and TotalEnergies are to be awarded a 10% equity stake each in the Ruwais LNG project with ADNOC retaining a 60% majority stake.

Separately, ADNOC has signed several new long-term LNG sales commitments with international partners, including for the delivery of 1 million tonnes per annum (MMtpa) with Shell and 0.6mtpa with Mitsui & Co., taking the committed Ruwais LNG production capacity to 70%.

H.E. Dr. Al Jaber said, “As natural gas demand continues to increase, this world-class project will enable us to provide more lower-carbon gas to meet growing demand today while helping the world transition to a cleaner energy future. Additionally, the project will accelerate development in Al Ruwais Industrial City, boost the local industrial ecosystem and create more skilled private sector jobs for UAE Nationals.”

The Ruwais LNG project, currently under development in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, will be the first LNG export facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to run on clean power. It will leverage the latest technologies and AI to minimise emissions and drive efficiency.

The project consists of two 4.8 MMtpa LNG liquefaction trains with a total capacity of 9.6 MMtpa. Natural gas is a crucial transitional fuel, generating lower-carbon emissions compared to other fossil fuels. The facility will more than double ADNOC’s UAE LNG production capacity to around 15 MMtpa, as the company builds its international LNG portfolio.

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan highlighted how Abu Dhabi’s attractiveness to international investors operating within the energy sector, coupled with the UAE leadership’s commitment to harnessing innovative technological solutions, is accelerating sustainable economic growth nationwide. 

His Highness emphasized that the UAE continues to make significant strides in addressing energy challenges through investment in clean and lower-carbon intensity projects, and by engaging with globally recognized partners on initiatives that foster long-term growth in critical industries.

His Highness further affirmed the UAE leadership’s focus on driving efficiencies and enhancing workforce capabilities through continued investment in research and development and artificial intelligence (AI), reinforcing the importance of strategic partnerships in sharing knowledge and expertise, and unlocking new avenues of innovation in energy transition.

Kenichi Hori, President and CEO of Mitsui & Co., said, “Mitsui believes that LNG will continue to play an important role in ensuring stable energy supply and responding to climate change. The lower-carbon Ruwais LNG project perfectly aligns with our strategy.”

Wael Sawan, Shell CEO, said, “In line with our strategy to create more value with less emissions, we are investing in additional LNG capacity and further growing our world-leading LNG portfolio, with energy-efficient and carbon-competitive projects."

Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said, “Last year at COP28, TotalEnergies and ADNOC both committed to lead the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. With Ruwais LNG, we are putting this principle into practice with one of the world’s lowest-carbon intensity LNG plants, allowing natural gas to fully play its role of transitional fuel.”