French energy giant TotalEnergies has announced a significant delay in restarting its $20 billion Mozambique liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, citing persistent security challenges in the northern Cabo Delgado province. The project, originally expected to resume operations by August 2025, will now not come online before 2029, according to CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
A Flagship Project Put on Hold
The Mozambique LNG initiative has been suspended since April 2021, when escalating violence from armed insurgent groups in Cabo Delgado forced the company to halt construction and evacuate staff. At the time, TotalEnergies declared force majeure, pausing all activities indefinitely.
Despite efforts by Mozambican authorities, supported by regional military partners, to stabilize the area, the company has opted for a cautious stance. Pouyanné made the announcement on September 29, 2025, during the “Strategy and Outlook 2025” Investor Day in New York, underscoring the need for secure conditions before operations can resume.
Security First
In earlier statements, company officials suggested a conditional restart could take place as early as 2025 if stability improved. However, Pouyanné stressed that a project of this scale requires more than optimism. “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,” he told analysts in July 2025. The company’s insistence reflects the scale of its investment and the risks involved. With $20 billion committed, TotalEnergies is unwilling to restart without firm guarantees of safety for its workforce and assets.
Timeline Pushed Back
By extending the restart to 2029, TotalEnergies is giving itself a controlled schedule to address not only security but also logistical and technical challenges. Restoring operations will involve remobilizing personnel, upgrading infrastructure, and re-establishing port and plant facilities that have been idle for several years.
The project, when fully operational, is expected to produce 13 million tons of LNG annually, making it one of Africa’s largest energy undertakings. The revised timeline means global markets will not see Mozambique’s gas exports until four years later than previously anticipated.
Implications for Global Gas Markets
The delay carries wider consequences for energy markets, particularly in Europe. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European nations have been seeking to diversify their natural gas supply sources to reduce dependence on Russian exports. Mozambique’s LNG was seen as a promising alternative, and the revised 2029 timeline pushes that relief further into the future.
Meanwhile, other LNG projects in Africa and beyond may step in to fill the supply gap, but TotalEnergies’ postponement shows the persistent risks facing large-scale energy investments in conflict-prone regions.
The Mozambique LNG project remains a cornerstone of Africa’s energy future, but its road to completion has been far more turbulent than anticipated. TotalEnergies’ decision to delay the restart until 2029 reflects both the complexity of operating in a volatile security environment and the company’s determination to protect its people and assets. For Mozambique, the challenge will be to sustain security improvements and reassure investors, while for global markets, the wait for Mozambican LNG just got longer.
