(Bloomberg) – TotalEnergies SE and its partners will end force majeure on their liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique, paving the way for work to formally restart on the export terminal after years of suspension, the company said.
Total in 2021 froze the $20 billion plan to build what was at the time hailed as Africa’s biggest private investment, after Islamic State-linked militants carried out a major attack on the nearby town of Palma, in northeast Mozambique.
“The Mozambique LNG consortium has taken the decision to lift the force majeure and the Mozambican presidency was officially informed on Friday by means of a protocol letter,” TotalEnergies said in a statement. “As a final step before fully relaunching the project, Mozambique’s Council of Ministers needs to approve an addendum to the plan of development with the updated budget and schedule.”
The decision to lift the suspension follows a deal reached between the government and Total’s consortium on how to treat future taxes against $4.5 billion in additional costs incurred since 2021, according to the local news site Zitamar, which reported the news earlier. The $20 billion estimate was made before the project was halted, and it’s unclear how much the updated plan will cost.
The project promises to help transform the economy of one of the world’s poorest nations. Yet the Mozambique LNG plant is located in a region ravaged by an Islamist insurgency since 2017. While foreign troops helped contain the violence after the 2021 attack, there’s been a resurgence in recent months.
Nearly 100,000 people have been displaced since September, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said this week. With 633 incidents targeting civilians recorded so far, 2025 is on track to become one of the most violent in recent history, according to the organization.
See also: TotalEnergies moves to restart work on $20 billion Mozambique LNG, sources say
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