Global Energy
$20B Mozambique LNG Project Restarts Construction After Four-Year Security Halt
TotalEnergies remobilizes more than 4,000 workers onshore and offshore, and reaffirms 2029 first-cargo target as conditions stabilize in African nation
Construction has resumed at the roughly $20B Mozambique LNG development in the African nation's Cabo Delgado province.after a four-year force majeure triggered by insurgent attacks in 2021.
Construction has resumed at the $20-billion Mozambique LNG export project in northern Mozambique, with more than 4,000 workers remobilized onshore and offshore after a four-year halt triggered by insurgent violence in the African nation's Cabo Delgado province.
Industry reporting in early and mid-February confirms that workforce levels are rebuilding at the Afungi peninsula in Cabo Delgado, where the project’s onshore LNG facilities are located, following the formal restart announcement late last month.
RELATED
68 US Companies Get Federal Support to Supply Mozambique LNG Project
Reports cited Paris-based TotalEnergies’ confirmation that construction activities have resumed and that first LNG remains targeted for 2029. The renewed activity follows the Nov. 7 decision by the firm and its partners to lift force majeure, which had been in place since April 2021 after insurgent attacks near the project area forced evacuations and halted construction.
TotalEnergies has a 26.5% stake in the Mozambique LNG consortium, with other partners including Japan's Mitsui, ENH, Bharat Petroleum, Beas Rovuma, ONGC Videsh Rovuma, BPRL Ventures Mozambique and Thailand's PTTEP.
In a Jan. 29 statement, TotalEnergies said Mozambique LNG had “fully restarted all its activities onshore and offshore in Mozambique,” adding that the project is “currently 40% complete.”
Reuters reported Jan. 29 that improved security conditions—supported in part by Rwandan forces deployed to Cabo Delgado—enabled the consortium’s decision to resume work.
Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics?
Try Ask ENR, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask ENR →
Located in the Mozambique Area 1 concession in the offshore Rovuma Basin, the project is designed to produce about 13 million metric tons per year of LNG once fully operational.
Site plan of the Mozambique LNG development on the Afungi peninsula shows the onshore processing area, construction and operations zones, and proposed marine export facilities in Palma Bay.
Site map courtesy of Earth Justice
For engineering and construction firms, the shift from suspension management to schedule recovery is the immediate test.
The onshore development at the Afungi peninsula includes LNG processing trains, storage tanks and marine facilities. Offshore scope involves subsea production systems and associated marine operations. TotalEnergies’ confirmation that work has resumed “both onshore and offshore” indicates that marine logistics, fabrication sequencing and field installation activities have re-entered the construction phase after nearly four years of interruption.
Mozambique LNG has involved major international contractors and U.S. supply-chain participation. ENR previously reported on U.S. Export-Import Bank support tied to equipment and services for the development in 2020, when engineering, procurement and construction of the LNG plant was associated with a joint venture comprising Saipem, Chiyoda and McDermott International, with Worley providing services support.
In March 2025, the Export-Import Bank said its board approved a second amendment to a direct loan of up to $4.7 billion supporting U.S. exports for an integrated LNG project in Mozambique, reinforcing federal backing connected to the development.
RELATED
Mozambique Greenlights $20-billion Anadarko LNG Project
Security remains a material variable. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reports that violent incidents in Cabo Delgado remain below the surge levels recorded during the period surrounding the 2021 suspension, though sporadic attacks continue in parts of the province. The International Crisis Group has reported that while regional and foreign military deployments have reduced large-scale assaults, the insurgency has not been decisively defeated, leaving stability dependent on sustained security coordination.
With workforce levels rebuilding and offshore operations reactivated, the project’s ability to sustain stable logistics, security coordination and contractor remobilization through 2026 will determine whether the 2029 first-cargo target remains on track.
Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).
Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues, including finance, law and real estate. He has reported for Adweek and the San Diego Daily Transcript and led a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif. He served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and as managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. At Engineering News-Record, Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure and megaprojects, regulatory developments and business trends across the U.S. and global construction sectors.
email: gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591
