Finance

African Development Bank and Mozambique LNG Area 1 Project win Multilateral Deal of the Year Award

African Development Bank and Mozambique LNG Area 1 Project win Multilateral Deal of the Year Award
Thursday, 11 February 2021 15:39

The Mozambique Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Area 1 Project and the African Development Bank have jointly received the prestigious Global Multilateral Deal of the Year 2020 award by the print and online publication Project Finance International (PFI).

The project, the single largest foreign direct investment in Africa to date with a value of over $24 billion, will exploit Mozambique’s immense offshore natural gas reserves, which can potentially transform global energy markets. The African Development Bank signed an agreement for a $400 million senior loan to finance the project in July 2020.

In signing the loan agreement, the African Development Bank joined a global syndication of commercial banks and export credit agencies that are providing financing. This financing includes direct loans as well as export credit agency-covered loans with 16- and 18-year tenors. The project is implemented by an international consortium of energy developers and operators led by Total as the operator of the project. It includes Mitsui, Oil India, Bharat Petroleum, PTTEP, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Mozambique's national oil and gas company, Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH). The consortium is providing the balance of financing through equity. Financial closing on the project is expected in 2021.

Mozambique is expected to become one of the world’s largest LNG exporters. Its gas represents an important source of LNG supply diversification. The project will boost the country’s ability to meet energy demand through gas-fired electricity and will support its ambitious goal to provide universal access to energy to its citizens by 2030. The project can also potentially feed downstream industries that use natural gas, such as fertilizer and electricity producers. It can thus become an engine for agricultural development and trade across the Southern African Development Corporation region.

PFI is the leading source of intelligence on global project finance. In its award announcement, it noted that the project had faced many challenges in securing financing, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

I still find it remarkable how so many project financings were transacted this year,” including the Mozambique LNG deal, said PFI’s Editor Rod Morrison.

The multilaterals played a key role in getting the project financed,” Morrison said. In addition to the African Development Bank, PFI cited the participation of United States Export Import Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation as critical.

In addition to loan financing, the Bank played a lead role in ensuring the project’s compliance with strict environmental and social standards. It also invested in strengthening the capacity of small and medium enterprises to enter the project’s supply chains and promote good standards of governance and transparency in Mozambique.

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, said: “I am delighted with the award of the Global Multilateral Deal of the Year 2020 to the African Development Bank and the Government of Mozambique LNG Area 1 Project, by Project Finance International. This great recognition reinforces the African Development Bank’s leadership and role in helping to structure financing and attract investments to Africa. The $24 billion project, which was structured at the Bank’s Africa Investment Forum, is Africa’s largest foreign direct investment. We will work with all partners to ensure that this project helps to unlock greater economic growth for Mozambique and benefits millions of people in the country, while building climate resilience.

Overall, the project aligns with a number of the African Development Bank’s strategic goals and its country strategy for Mozambique and for Southern Africa. These goals include boosting employment, expanding universal electricity access and leveraging natural resource development for investment in sustainable infrastructure.

Fernando Balderrama, Chief Investment Officer with the Bank, said: “We are excited about the growth and industrialization opportunities created through this project for the Mozambican population.” He added: “The African Development Bank will continue to play a convening role to facilitate and assist with the suitable implementation of this investment, advocating for international best practice, small and medium enterprise development and diversification, women’s empowerment, job creation, and other critically important considerations.”

38002 pfi mult deal 2020 award final ottc02 11 2pm

On the same topic
(EBID) - The Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) held its 92nd Ordinary Session on June 30, 2025. The Board...
• The IMF approved a $261.9 million disbursement under DR Congo’s credit program• Economic growth hit 6.5% in 2024, driven by the extractive sector•...
• Ghana’s Parliament approved a $360 million loan from the World Bank’s IDA• The funds will help pay road sector arrears, support vulnerable groups,...
(AMETRADE) - The 15th edition of the annual Africa PPP Summit (#APPP2025) is set to take place on 28 – 31 October 2025 at Hilton Hotel, Windhoek, Republic...
Most Read
01

Lebara Group is now bringing its affordable and reliable mobile services to Africa, starting with Ni...

Telecoms: Lebara Enters Nigerian Market with Strong Competitive Ambitions
02

Transport and food prices have been climbing steadily across Africa in recent years. In Côte d’Ivoir...

Côte d’Ivoire’s Fuel Price Cuts Haven’t Slashed Transport Costs–Yet
03

• BOAD releases CFA10 billion ($17.8 million) to support Boungou and Wahgnion gold mines.• Burkina F...

BOAD Grants CFA10 Billion to Revive Boungou and Wahgnion Gold Mines in Burkina Faso
04

In a West African financial landscape marked by tighter regulation of the fintech sector, digital fi...

In Five Years, Francophone Africa Will be A Major Force in African Tech –Régis Bamba
05

• Maritime sector faces renewed risks amid military tensions in the Middle East• Blockade fears at S...

Israel-Iran conflict raises new threats for global shipping and oil trade
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

Benjamin FLAUX
bf@agenceecofin.com 
Téls: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.