MAPUTO, Jan 29 – TotalEnergies has formally restarted construction of its $20 billion liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique, bringing to an end a nearly five-year suspension of one of Africa’s largest-ever energy investments.
The resumption will be marked by an event at the project site on Mozambique’s northern coast, led by President Daniel Chapo, according to a statement from the president’s office. TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne is scheduled to attend.
The Mozambique LNG project, located in the Rovuma Basin, has long been viewed as a cornerstone of the country’s ambitions to become a major global gas exporter. Development was halted in 2021 after escalating security concerns linked to an Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado province, where the project is based.
Since then, Mozambique has worked alongside regional partners and international allies to restore stability in the area, deploying security forces and implementing broader measures aimed at safeguarding strategic infrastructure. The restart signals renewed confidence by TotalEnergies in the operating environment and the project’s long-term viability.
Once completed, the LNG facility is expected to produce more than 13 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually, positioning Mozambique among the world’s leading LNG exporters and unlocking significant export revenues, fiscal inflows, and employment opportunities.
The revival of the project comes at a time of heightened global competition for LNG supply, as energy-importing nations seek to diversify sources amid geopolitical uncertainty and shifting energy transition timelines. For Mozambique, the restart represents a critical step toward monetising its vast offshore gas reserves and attracting further foreign investment into the energy sector.
Investors and policymakers will closely watch execution milestones as construction resumes, with the project’s success likely to shape perceptions of frontier energy investments across Africa for years to come.
