Abu Dhabi’s XRG targets LNG and gas capacity of up to 25m tonnes a year by 2035

XRG's board, led by Dr Sultan Al Jaber, endorses five-year plan for the company

Adnoc launched XRG, a $80 billion low-carbon energy and chemicals investment company in 2024. Victor Besa / The National

Adnoc’s global energy investment arm XRG aims to have a gas and LNG business with capacity of between 20 to 25 million tonnes per annum by 2035 as it looks to scale up its operations globally.

XRG's board, which includes Adnoc group managing director and chief executive Dr Sultan Al Jaber, former BP chief executive Bernard Looney and Blackstone’s Jon Gray, approved a five-year business plan for the company on Monday.

“XRG is investing in the energy systems of the future – more integrated, more resilient, and responsive to global demand,” Dr Al Jaber, who is also the executive chairman of XRG, said. “We are scaling platforms in gas, chemicals and energy solutions to drive long-term value and ensure energy remains a catalyst for sustainable growth and development.”

XRG was launched last year as an international lower-carbon energy and chemicals investment company, with an enterprise value exceeding $80 billion. In December, President Sheikh Mohamed endorsed the appointment of the board of directors for the new unit.

Other members of the board include Mohamed Alsuwaidi, UAE Minister of Investment and managing director and chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s holding company ADQ, and Nassef Sawiris, the executive chair of OCI Global. The board “supported the assessment of potential upstream gas M&A and LNG opportunities to strengthen its North American gas position", the statement said.

Last month, the UAE made an announcement to increase the value of its investments in the US energy sector to $440 billion by 2035, from the current $70 billion, during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf countries. That is part of the UAE’s plan to invest $1.4 trillion in the country.

XRG bought a stake in NextDecade's Rio Grande liquefied natural gas export facility in Texas last year along with other acquisitions in Mozambique and Turkmenistan. The board also endorsed the “company’s ambition to create a top-three global chemicals platform", the statement said.

“Subject to respective regulatory approvals, the proposed formation of Borouge Group International and the proposed acquisition of Covestro anchors an industry-leading portfolio across polyolefins, performance materials, and future speciality segments.”

In December, XRG announced the acquisition of the German chemicals company Covestro for an enterprise value of €14.7 billion ($15.3 billion). In March, Adnoc also agreed to terms of a binding agreement with Austria’s OMV to merge their polyolefins business and create a $60 billion Borouge Group International.

The board also directed XRG through its Energy Solutions platform to expand its investments across the energy value chain "while continuing to develop select opportunities in carbon capture and storage and low-carbon fuels such as biofuels and low-carbon hydrogen that align with attractive return profiles". That comes amid growth in AI-linked power demand, particularly in the US, the statement added.