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Mozambique

Total’s LNG project moves closer to restart

PREVIEW

Plan to resume operations in July has backing of President Chapo

TotalEnergies’ US$20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in northern Mozambique is eyeing a rapid resumption, with the French oil and gas major informing contractors to prepare for recommencing work this month.

In June, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanné said that the project in Cabo Delgado Province could resume in the coming months and vowed to produce LNG in Mozambique from 2029. Total has estimated an annual production capacity of 13 million tonnes of LNG. A boost for the project – which was delayed by Islamic insurgent attacks in 2021 after a final investment decision was made in 2019 – came in January when the US Exim bank, the United States’s export lender, approved a $4.7bn loan (Dispatches, 24/3/25, Clashing with America First policy, US Eximbank makes biggest loan ever to France’s TotalEnergies & AC Vol 66 No 1, TotalEnergies makes a dash for the US gas cash). However, it still needs to find most of the remaining $15bn in financing.

Resumption has the support of Mozambique President Daniel Chapo who has promised help improve security and is hopeful that Total’s return will encourage other investors in major projects such as ExxonMobil (AC Vol 66 No 2, Facing the costs of Nyusi’s inheritance).

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