Doha is forging ahead to strengthen its position as the capital of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne, told Qatar News Agency (QNA).
Pouyanne added that the State of Qatar is a strategic partner of TotalEnergies in major expansion projects, foremost of which are North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS), with the possibility of future expansion in additional projects.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 21st International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG2026) in Doha, Pouyanne underlined that TotalEnergies directly contributes to expansion projects through leveraged investments, capital, and marketing capabilities. He expressed pride in the extended partnership with Qatar in the energy sector.
The LNG market has been remarkably expanding in production capacities globally, he said, hoping that demand would grow, particularly in emerging markets such as India.
Pouyanne further noted that Qatar enjoys a fundamental competitive advantage as one of the lowest-cost countries for LNG production, offering it high flexibility in navigating market fluctuations.
He pointed out that the greatest challenge facing the industry is the execution of major projects within the scheduled timelines and approved budgets, emphasising that the expansion projects in Qatar are moving full steam ahead at a very good pace, with the first production line in NFE anticipated to commence based on the approved timeline.
Having major additional production capacities in operation would lead to an upsurge in global production capacity of almost 30%, something that would influence prices, Pouyanne opined, underscoring the importance of developing markets and increasing demand to strike a balance and maintain sustainability in global markets.
Regarding new and renewable energy, Pouyanne stressed that there is a fundamental combination between LNG and renewable energy, clarifying that the combination of solar energy and gas represents the optimal solution for reliable electricity abundance around the clock.
He noted that the energy future in Qatar is based on resource diversity, with a particular focus on reducing emissions, especially methane emissions, thereby contributing to achieving environmental sustainability goals.
