French oil and gas giant and the operator of the Mozambique-LNG project, Total, has reached an agreement with the Mozambican government over the security of the LNG project in the country.
The operator of the project announced on Monday, 24th August 2020, that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with the government that will provide a Joint Task Force to ensure the security of the project on the Afungi Peninsula in Palma district, and “across the broader area of operations of the project.”
The world-class LNG project worth over $20 billion is expected to commence production in 2024. It is the first onshore LNG project in Mozambique. Gas from the Golfinho and Atum fields, located in the Rovuma Basin Offshore Area One, will be pumped to the Afungi Peninsula where a factory with two liquefaction units, with the capacity to produce 13.1 million tonnes of LNG a year, is to be built.
Excerpts from Total’s release:
“Mozambique LNG shall provide logistic support to the Joint Task Force”, and that the government “is committed that the Joint Task Force personnel shall act according to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR).”
“[The memorandum] demonstrates the project’s commitment to meeting its milestones in a secure manner, while creating local opportunities and bringing meaningful social and economic benefits for the province of Cabo Delgado and the country.”
According to the release, the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Max Tonela said: “We are proud to continue working with the Mozambique LNG project to ensure the country benefits from its presence. This Memorandum of Understanding bolsters security measures and endeavours to create a safe operating environment for partners like Total which enables their ongoing investment in Mozambican industry, for small and medium enterprise and for our communities.”
The Chairperson of Total in Mozambique, Ronan Bescond said: “In recognition of the benefits the Mozambique LNG project will bring to local communities, the country, and all parties involved in the project, Total and the Government of Mozambique are committed to enable steady progress towards a successful delivery of the project”.
“In view of the security situation in Cabo Delgado, our priority is to ensure the security of our workforce, many of whom reside in neighbouring communities, and of the project operations.”
with%20the%20government%20that%20will%20provide%20a%20Joint%20Task%20Force%20to%20ensure%20the%20security%20of%20the%20project%20on%20the%20Afungi%20Peninsula%20in%20Palma%20district,%20and%20em“across%20the%20broader%20area%20of%20operations%20of%20the%20project./emThe%20world-class%20LNG%20project%20worth%20over%20$20%20billion%20is%20expected%20to%20commence%20production%20in%202024.%20It%20is%20the%20first%20onshore%20LNG%20project%20in%20Mozambique.%20Gas%20from%20the%20Golfinho%20and%20Atum%20fields,%20located%20in%20the%20Rovuma%20Basin%20Offshore%20Area%20One,%20will%20be%20pumped%20to%20the%20Afungi%20Peninsula%20where%20a%20factory%20with%20two%20liquefaction%20units,%20with%20the%20capacity%20to%20produce%2013.1%20million%20tonnes%20of%20LNG%20a%20year,%20is%20to%20be%20built.Excerpts%20from%20Total's%20release:em“Mozambique%20LNG%20shall%20provide%20logistic%20support%20to%20the%20Joint%20Task%20Force”,%20and%20that%20the%20government%20“is%20committed%20that%20the%20Joint%20Task%20Force%20personnel%20shall%20act%20according%20to%20the%20Voluntary%20Principles%20on%20Security%20and%20Human%20Rights%20(VPSHR)./emem%5BThe%20memorandum%5D%20demonstrates%20the%20project’s%20commitment%20to%20meeting%20its%20milestones%20in%20a%20secure%20manner,%20while%20creating%20local%20opportunities%20and%20bringing%20meaningful%20social%20and%20economic%20benefits%20for%20the%20province%20of%20Cabo%20Delgado%20and%20the%20country./emAccording%20to%20the%20release,%20the%20Minister%20of%20Mineral%20Resources%20and%20Energy,%20Max%20Tonela%20said:em%20“We%20are%20proud%20to%20continue%20working%20with%20the%20Mozambique%20LNG%20project%20to%20ensure%20the%20country%20benefits%20from%20its%20presence.%20This%20Memorandum%20of%20Understanding%20bolsters%20security%20measures%20and%20endeavours%20to%20create%20a%20safe%20operating%20environment%20for%20partners%20like%20Total%20which%20enables%20their%20ongoing%20investment%20in%20Mozambican%20industry,%20for%20small%20and%20medium%20enterprise%20and%20for%20our%20communities./emThe%20Chairperson%20of%20Total%20in%20Mozambique,%20Ronan%20Bescond%20said:em%20“In%20recognition%20of%20the%20benefits%20the%20Mozambique%20LNG%20project%20will%20bring%20to%20local%20communities,%20the%20country,%20and%20all%20parties%20involved%20in%20the%20project,%20Total%20and%20the%20Government%20of%20Mozambique%20are%20committed%20to%20enable%20steady%20progress%20towards%20a%20successful%20delivery%20of%20the%20project”./emem“In%20view%20of%20the%20security%20situation%20in%20Cabo%20Delgado,%20our%20priority%20is%20to%20ensure%20the%20security%20of%20our%20workforce,%20many%20of%20whom%20reside%20in%20neighbouring%20communities,%20and%20of%20the%20project%20operations./em){kind=link}