French energy major TotalEnergies on Thursday officially relaunched its $20 billion Mozambique LNG project, five years after operations were halted following a deadly jihadist attack in the country’s north.
The announcement was made by TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Pouyanné, during a ceremony attended by Mozambique’s President, Daniel Chapo.
“I am delighted to announce the full restart of the Mozambique LNG project… The force majeure is over,” Pouyanné said.
The liquefied natural gas project, located in Cabo Delgado province near the Tanzanian border, was suspended in 2021 after a major jihadist assault that reportedly killed about 800 people. The attack triggered TotalEnergies’ declaration of force majeure and stalled what is regarded as the largest private investment in Africa’s energy infrastructure.
Although the company lifted the force majeure in October 2025, it has reportedly sought $4.5 billion in compensation from the Mozambican government to cover cost overruns caused by the prolonged delay.
In a statement, President Chapo’s office described the restart as “a significant milestone for the national economy,” adding that it reaffirms “the confidence of international partners in Mozambique’s energy, institutional and human potential.”
The project is expected to create thousands of jobs and position Mozambique as one of the world’s leading exporters of liquefied natural gas once fully operational.
Despite the economic optimism, environmental groups have criticized the project, labeling it a “climate bomb” and arguing that it offers limited benefits to local communities. According to the World Bank, more than 80 percent of Mozambicans were living below the poverty line of $3 per day in 2022.
Security concerns also persist. While no attack on the scale of 2021 has occurred recently, sporadic assaults on civilians and security forces continue in northern Mozambique. Since 2017, the insurgency in the region has resulted in over 6,200 deaths, according to conflict monitoring group ACLED.
