• TotalEnergies has pushed the restart of its Mozambique LNG project to 2029.

• The $20 billion project has been on hold since 2021 due to violence in Cabo Delgado.

• Annual output of 13 million tons of LNG will not reach markets before the new date.

French energy major TotalEnergies has set a new timeline for one of its flagship African projects. In May, the company had targeted an August 2025 restart of Mozambique LNG. But CEO Patrick Pouyanné announced on Monday, September 29, in New York at the “Strategy & Outlook 2025” Investor Day, that the gas project will now not resume before 2029.

The initiative has been suspended since armed attacks in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, forced the group to withdraw staff and halt operations. The delay extends the force majeure declared in April 2021.

Although Mozambican authorities and regional partners have stepped up security, the operator is taking a cautious approach to the $20 billion investment. Officials expressed optimism earlier in 2025 about a conditional restart, but TotalEnergies insists on firm guarantees.

Speaking to analysts in July 2025, Pouyanné made the company’s position clear: “To relaunch a project of this scale, there must be strong alignment between the Mozambican government and investors, and we are working on that alignment.”

By setting 2029, TotalEnergies is opting for a controlled schedule. The restart will require restoring logistics and mobilizing technical teams, from port facilities to gas liquefaction plants.

The project’s estimated annual output of 13 million tons of LNG will therefore not reach markets before 2029. For Europe, which is seeking to diversify gas supply sources, this means deliveries from Mozambique will come later than initially planned.