• Mozambique granted TotalEnergies a 4.5-year extension to compensate for the force-majeure suspension imposed since 2021.

• TotalEnergies estimates the suspension added about $4.5 billion in extra costs.

• Mozambique requested an independent audit to verify expenditures made during the force-majeure period.

The Mozambican government granted TotalEnergies a 4.5-year extension on the concession of the $20 billion Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado. Local media reported the decision on 20 November, quoting Portugal’s public news agency Lusa.

The extension forms part of an agreement that allows authorities and TotalEnergies to integrate the 4.5-year halt into the overall concession timeline. TotalEnergies declared force majeure in April 2021 after escalating insecurity forced the suspension of operations at the Afungi site.

Before the suspension, the operator had mobilised 7,000 workers and achieved major construction milestones, according to figures published by 360Mozambique.

The update follows an announcement in late October, when TotalEnergies and its partners notified authorities of their intent to lift the force-majeure clause. Mozambique has not yet issued the final approval needed for operations to restart.

TotalEnergies said the halt generated approximately $4.5 billion in additional costs, according to Inspectioneering, a platform specialising in industrial asset integrity. The government responded by requesting an independent audit to verify spending incurred during the force-majeure period and to confirm compliance with contractual obligations.

Mozambique LNG remains one of the country’s largest-ever energy investments, initially valued at $20 billion, with a planned liquefaction capacity of 13 million tonnes of LNG per year.

Authorities said the full restart will depend on ongoing administrative and technical steps, including approval of the revised budget, adjustments to the operational calendar and conclusions of the audit. If all conditions are met and construction resumes, the project could enter service around 2029.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum