In an exclusive interview, the chief executive of Technip Energies expressed strong optimism about the market outlook, anticipating a rise in the company's project backlog in 2026. He described the markets as promising and positive, with the company being very confident that final investment decisions (FIDs) for its pipeline will be reached that year. This follows a third-quarter 2025 backlog of $16.7 billion, which came after two years of tremendous growth and a subsequent period of slower order intake.

Project Pipeline and Strategy

The company is pursuing a very large pipeline of opportunities worldwide, valued at €70 billion ($82.6 billion) over a rolling 24-month period. A core strategic principle is to engage early in projects, particularly during the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase. The company has a policy of not bidding on projects where it is not part of this early engagement, as this provides greater visibility and a higher conversion rate into actual orders. While the pursued projects may sound narrower than the total pipeline, the strike rate in these early-engagement opportunities is fairly high.

Core Markets and Diversification

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and natural gas continue to constitute a significant portion, about 35% to 40%, of the opportunity pipeline. Major projects in this sector include multibillion-dollar contracts from QatarEnergy's North Field expansion, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's (Adnoc's) Ruwais plant, and Oman's Marsa LNG. While maintaining involvement in both onshore and offshore LNG, the company is diversifying. Floating LNG (FLNG) is highlighted as a major opportunity for the coming decade to unlock resources, with the company currently executing the Coral Norte FLNG contract for Eni.

Expansion into Low-Carbon and Other Sectors

Technip Energies is actively expanding into low-carbon and energy transition projects. This includes executing a key gas-fired power station project with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) for the UK's Net Zero Teesside Power project, which is seen as a promising development. The company is also working on projects in green ammonia and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Future of the EPC Sector and Global Footprint

The executive believes the global engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) sector will continue to thrive, contingent on sufficient market sophistication. He sees a bright future for EPC companies that modernize their practices and workflows to deliver value through shorter time to market and greater predictability. This optimism is based on seeing contractors, including Technip Energies, investing more in technology and providing solutions beyond pure engineering. Geographically, while the Middle East remains a hotspot, the company has intentionally rebalanced its portfolio across four core regions, successfully expanding in markets like the US and Europe. Bright opportunities are also seen in East Africa and the US, with the company not relying on any single "blockbuster" region.