Development Set to Resume After Force Majeure Halt
TotalEnergies has announced that development work on its $20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique is expected to resume this summer. The update was delivered by Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne during a panel session at the Japan Energy Summit in Tokyo on Wednesday.
The project, one of Africa's largest LNG ventures, has been on hold since 2021, when escalating insurgent violence in northern Mozambique forced TotalEnergies to declare force majeure and evacuate personnel. The decision froze progress on a project considered critical to Mozambique’s economic future and global gas supply diversification.
Key Features of the Project
The Mozambique LNG project involves the development of the Golfinho and Atum gas fields in the Offshore Area 1 concession and includes the construction of a two-train liquefaction plant. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce 13.12 million metric tons of LNG annually.
TotalEnergies is the project’s operator with a 26.5% stake. Other major stakeholders include Japan’s Mitsui & Co. with 20%, Mozambique’s state-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) with 15%, along with a consortium of Indian state-owned companies and Thailand’s PTTEP holding the remainder.
Strategic Importance and Global Relevance
The project’s restart comes at a crucial time, as global demand for LNG remains strong amid efforts to shift away from coal and reduce reliance on Russian gas. Mozambique’s offshore reserves are among the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, and the project is expected to significantly boost the country’s economy and energy exports.
Mozambique is poised to become a major player in global LNG markets, and the resumption of this high-profile development signals improving security conditions in the Cabo Delgado region—long plagued by militant attacks.
Outlook and Implications
A summer restart would mark a turning point in the project’s timeline, potentially enabling first LNG exports later this decade. It would also reinforce TotalEnergies’ position as a key global LNG supplier and demonstrate the company’s commitment to high-stakes energy investments in frontier markets.
For Mozambique, the return of TotalEnergies and its international partners signals renewed investor confidence and the potential for long-term economic transformation driven by natural gas revenues.