Maputo, Oct. 28, 2025 (Lusa) - The Mozambican government "repudiated" on Tuesday the fact that TotalEnergies' decision to lift the “force majeure” on the Cabo Delgado gas megaproject was made public, when the letter with this content was to be addressed to the President of the Republic.
"It should be addressed in a closed context to His Excellency, the President of the Republic, first hand," said cabinet spokesman Inocêncio Impissa, when questioned by journalists after the meeting of that body, held in Maputo on Tuesday.
He recognised that "a large part" of the government was “surprised” by the letter from TotalEnergies that is circulating on social media, addressed to President Daniel Chapo, communicating the decision to lift the “force majeure” clause on the project and imposing conditions for its resumption.
"The first thing we do is repudiate this format, because the most appropriate format is to talk through the channels duly established for this purpose," said Impissa.
TotalEnergies, leader of the consortium in Area 1 of the Rovuma Basin, proposed to the Mozambican government that the concession for the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) mega-project in Cabo Delgado be extended for 10 years, to “compensate” for losses of $4.5 billion (€3.870 billion) for four years of suspension.
In the letter signed by the chairman of TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, addressed on Friday to the Mozambican President, informing him of the decision to lift the “force majeure” clause that had kept the project suspended since 2021, the request is justified to "partially compensate for the economic impact" of the stoppage, due to the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado and admitting that the safety conditions are in place for the resumption.
"The concessionaire respectfully requests that the government grant an extension to the Development and Production Period of the Golfinho-Atum [field] (...) for a period of 10 years," reads the letter, to which Lusa had access.
"The government has to pronounce itself on the development plan, among other matters, take into account all the elements, this whole phase of paralysis, what it means, and evaluate the different elements. Now, whether it's 10 years ahead or less, that depends a lot on the constraints that we're going to put in place," reacted Inocêncio Impissa.
However, he emphasised that the reason for TotalEnergies having called in “force majeure” referred to "military hostilities and insecurity on the ground", which now means "that the counterparty understands that the conditions have been or have been created by effect", as the head of state had previously said, stating that it will be up to the government "to position itself in relation to the points made about the counterparty", but "when this issue is brought to the table".
"However, the government hasn't stood still, it's also doing background work to understand the different nuances," he also pointed out, while recognising that this is a "priority" project for the country.
At stake is a megaproject worth $20 billion (€17 billion), led by the French oil company, whose progress has been hampered over the last four years by terrorist attacks in the northern province of Mozambique.
TotalEnergies said in the letter that the "approval of this revised budget will cover the incremental costs incurred by the project due to “force majeure” events, totalling $4.5 billion (€3.86 billion)".
"In addition, the prolonged period of suspension due to “force majeure” has significantly impacted the project schedule," the letter states, pointing out that the first delivery of LNG from the first line to be installed in Afungi has been moved from July 2024, as planned, to the "first half of 2029".
This is an investment led by TotalEnergies in Cabo Delgado, with an estimated production forecast of 13 million tonnes per year (mtpa) of LNG.
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
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