TotalEnergies ready to restart Mozambique LNG at any cost, provided it is paid by Mozambicans

A coalition of civil society organisations condemns TotalEnergies' plan to restart the USD 20 billion Mozambique LNG project. The organisations highlight that the restart is conditional on the Mozambican government approving a revised budget that includes USD 4.5 billion in incremental costs incurred during the force majeure period. The statement warns that the project's 'fortress' security model increases the vulnerability of local populations to an ongoing regional insurgency and recalls allegations of serious human rights abuses, including the 'container massacre' and torture of civilians on the gas site. The coalition calls on financial institutions, including export credit agencies and banks, to withdraw their support for the project due to these environmental, social, and financial risks.

• TotalEnergies has informed the President of Mozambique of its decision to lift force majeure on the USD 20 billion Mozambique LNG project, but the restart is conditional on the government approving a revised budget and schedule, including a request for a ten-year extension of the development and production period.
• TotalEnergies is seeking approval for incremental costs totaling USD 4.5 billion resulting from the force majeure period, which the coalition argues could further strain Mozambique's economy.
• The project's security strategy involves concentrating troops at the Afungi gas site, creating an isolated 'fortress' that the coalition claims increases the vulnerability of local communities to attacks from a regional insurgency active since October 2017.
• TotalEnergies faces serious allegations of human rights abuses and legal challenges, including a judicial investigation in France for involuntary manslaughter following an attack on Palma town in April 2021, and reports of the 'container massacre' where civilians were allegedly detained and tortured on the gas site.
• The project relies on a USD 14.9 billion financing package from 31 financial institutions; the coalition urges these entities, as well as suppliers like Siemens Energy and banks like Deutsche Bank, to withdraw support.

APA

Ribeiro, D., Philippot, L., Butijn, R., Geuskens, I., Ogno, S., & Meister, S. (2025). TotalEnergies ready to restart Mozambique LNG at any cost, provided it is paid by Mozambicans. Reclaim Finance. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2025/10/27/totalenergies-ready-to-restart-mozambique-lng-at-any-cost-provided-it-is-paid-by-mozambicans/

Chicago

Ribeiro, Daniel, Lorette Philippot, Rieke Butijn, Isabelle Geuskens, Simone Ogno, and Sonja Meister. TotalEnergies ready to restart Mozambique LNG at any cost, provided it is paid by Mozambicans. Reclaim Finance, 2025. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2025/10/27/totalenergies-ready-to-restart-mozambique-lng-at-any-cost-provided-it-is-paid-by-mozambicans/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Ribeiro |first1=Daniel |last2=Philippot |first2=Lorette |last3=Butijn |first3=Rieke |last4=Geuskens |first4=Isabelle |last5=Ogno |first5=Simone |last6=Meister |first6=Sonja |title=TotalEnergies ready to restart Mozambique LNG at any cost, provided it is paid by Mozambicans |publisher=Reclaim Finance |date=27 October 2025 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2025/10/27/totalenergies-ready-to-restart-mozambique-lng-at-any-cost-provided-it-is-paid-by-mozambicans/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{ribeiro2025totalenergies, author = {Ribeiro, Daniel and Philippot, Lorette and Butijn, Rieke and Geuskens, Isabelle and Ogno, Simone and Meister, Sonja}, title = {{TotalEnergies ready to restart Mozambique LNG at any cost, provided it is paid by Mozambicans}}, publisher = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2025/10/27/totalenergies-ready-to-restart-mozambique-lng-at-any-cost-provided-it-is-paid-by-mozambicans/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }