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TotalEnergies Restarts $20 Billion Mozambique LNG Project After Five-Year Halt

The relaunch follows improved security around the Afungi site under Rwandan protection.

Overview

  • CEO Patrick Pouyanné announced the full restart on January 29 at Afungi alongside President Daniel Chapo, declaring the force majeure over.
  • Construction has resumed onshore and offshore with roughly 4,000 workers, the majority Mozambican, with the project about 40% complete and first LNG expected in 2029.
  • TotalEnergies is seeking about $4.5 billion in delay compensation and a 10-year concession extension after UK and Dutch export finance was withdrawn in late 2025, with partners pledging additional equity.
  • Security around the project has improved with Rwandan troops remaining after SADC’s 2024 withdrawal, though the insurgency persists with sporadic violence and thousands killed since 2017.
  • Legal scrutiny continues with a French manslaughter investigation and an ECCHR complaint alleging complicity in abuses, which TotalEnergies rejects, as environmental groups label the project a climate threat with limited local benefit.