TotalEnergies SE is pledging $10 million for development projects in northern Mozambique as the French energy giant prepares to restart a stalled liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the insurgency-hit region of Cabo Delgado. The funding, channeled through the Agency for the Integrated Development of the North (ADIN), is aimed at stabilizing communities and fostering economic recovery.
The commitment follows a four-year suspension of TotalEnergies’ $20 billion LNG project due to militant attacks that have plagued the gas-rich province since 2017. The investment will focus on critical infrastructure, including paved roads to improve mobility and aid the flow of agricultural goods. It will also support farming cooperatives to boost production, processing, and market access, with a particular emphasis on creating jobs for young people.
“We want to contribute, through ADIN, to the government’s efforts to stabilize the lives and well-being of communities,” said Maxime Rabilloud, TotalEnergies’ representative in Mozambique. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure communities in Palma and Mocímboa da Praia benefit from the LNG project’s opportunities.
The move comes as the Mozambican government has assured TotalEnergies that security conditions are now in place for the project’s resumption. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné had previously indicated a potential restart by August, and subcontractors have been instructed to prepare to return to work.
TotalEnergies holds a 26.5% stake in the consortium developing the Area 1 project, which is set to produce and export LNG to Asian markets. The project is part of Mozambique’s efforts to tap into its vast Rovuma Basin natural gas reserves, which are among the largest in the world. The ongoing insurgency, however, has displaced over a million people and resulted in hundreds of deaths, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
