French energy giant TotalEnergies and its partners announced plans to secure additional funding to cover a $2.2bn shortfall after the governments of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands withdrew from the Mozambique LNG project.
The two governments, whose commitments represented about 10% of the project’s external financing, pulled out of the $20bn venture citing allegations of human rights abuses in Cabo Delgado.
The allegations were detailed in a statement released on December 1, 2025, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Finance from external advisors Clingendael and Pangea Risk.
TotalEnergies criticized the report, noting that the advisors did not conduct on-the-ground investigations in Mozambique but instead relied largely on third-party information. The company strongly rejected the accusations, insisting that members of the Mozambique Defence Forces had not committed such abuses.
It emphasized that the consortium had unanimously agreed to provide additional equity to replace the contributions previously pledged by the UK Export Finance (UKEF) and Atradius.
“TotalEnergies and its partners would like to thank the lenders representing around 90% of the external financing who have confirmed their commitment to the financing of the project, acknowledging its positive contribution to the development of Mozambique,” said the energy giant.
The company added that internal verifications conducted with stakeholders confirmed that such acts were never committed.
The Mozambique LNG project
Mozambique LNG is an onshore liquefied natural gas development in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, following the discovery of vast natural gas reserves in 2010.
- Scope of the project: Development of the Golfinho and Atum fields in Rovuma Offshore Area 1, plus construction of two liquefaction trains with a combined capacity of 13.1 million metric tons per year (mtpa).
- Consortium partners: TotalEnergies (26.5%), Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1 (20%), ENH Rovuma Área 1 (15%), ONGC Videsh Rovuma (10%), Beas Rovuma Energy Mozambique (10%), BPRL Ventures Mozambique (10%), and PTTEP Mozambique Area 1 (8.5%).
The consortium reached a final investment decision (FID) in 2019 on what was then a $15bn project. However, progress stalled in 2021 when a force majeure was declared due to escalating insecurity in Cabo Delgado.
In October 2025, TotalEnergies and its partners lifted the four-year suspension, clearing the way for the project to resume. The revival followed the US Eximbank’s approval of a $4.7 billion loan in March, which provided crucial momentum.
Meanwhile, ExxonMobil has also announced the restart of its $30 billion Rovuma LNG project, another major onshore development closely linked to the Mozambique LNG venture.