Mozambique LNG, Coral Norte and Rovuma LNG: timeline, partners and who is buying
Suppliers plan around dates and around who holds the contracts. This page keeps the main LNG projects, their partners, the contracts awarded so far and the next milestones in one place, with the date of each statement, so that a forecast is not read as a fact.
Mozambique LNG (Area 1): restarted in January 2026, first LNG expected in 2029
Mozambique LNG is the onshore plant on the Afungi peninsula developed by the Area 1 consortium. TotalEnergies operates with 26.5%; Mitsui holds 20%, the state company ENH 15%, and ONGC Videsh, Bharat PetroResources, Oil India and PTTEP hold the remainder. The project was sanctioned in 2019, suspended under force majeure declared in April 2021 after the attack on Palma that began on 24 March 2021, and formally restarted on 29 January 2026 after the consortium lifted force majeure in November 2025.
- Progress: the operator’s restart release of 29 January 2026 put project progress at 40% at that date and states that almost all engineering and procurement of main equipment was executed during the force majeure period. Project partner Bharat PetroResources has since cited progress of about 42% in its reporting for the 2025-26 financial year.
- Workforce: over 4,000 workers mobilised at the restart, more than 3,000 of them Mozambican nationals (same release).
- Local spend: the release states that contracts awarded to Mozambican companies are expected to amount to more than US$4 billion over the project. It is a forecast of the total, not a figure already paid.
- Cost and schedule: an investment widely reported at about US$20 billion, with additional costs from the suspension under discussion between the parties; first LNG is expected in 2029 according to the operator, with some analysts pointing to 2030.
- Financing: the US Export-Import Bank re-approved its US$4.7 billion loan in March 2025; other export credit agencies and lenders are re-engaging.
The onshore EPC contract belongs to the CCS joint venture of Saipem (leader), McDermott and Chiyoda, awarded in 2019; Siemens Energy supplies gas turbines and boil-off compressors. Offshore installation work resumed in early 2026. Expect procurement to concentrate on construction services, site accommodation and logistics, pre-commissioning and commissioning, and later the long run of maintenance contracts after start-up.
Coral Sul and Coral Norte (Area 4 offshore): the producing project and its twin
Coral Sul is Mozambique’s only producing LNG project: a 3.4 mtpa floating unit operated by Eni that shipped its first cargo in November 2022. Coral Norte is its twin, a 3.6 mtpa unit sanctioned in 2025; its hull was launched in Geoje, South Korea, in January 2026. On 8 June 2026 JGC and Technip Energies announced the engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning contract, with Samsung Heavy Industries, worth more than one billion euros to Technip Energies alone. First gas is planned for the second half of 2028.
Area 4 is held by Mozambique Rovuma Venture (Eni, ExxonMobil and CNPC) with 70%, and by XRG (the international arm of ADNOC), KOGAS and ENH with 10% each. Because most of the work for a floating unit happens in Korean and European yards, local opportunities are concentrated in marine logistics, offshore support, catering, personnel services and the Pemba supply base.
Rovuma LNG (Area 4 onshore): the largest, still before its investment decision
Rovuma LNG is the onshore development of Area 4 gas, led by ExxonMobil on behalf of the partners. The design uses 12 modular liquefaction modules for 18.6 million tonnes of LNG per year, with an investment reported between US$20 billion and US$30 billion. ExxonMobil lifted force majeure on 20 November 2025 and states that the partners are progressing towards a final investment decision in 2026, with start-up anticipated in 2031. As of October 2026 no final investment decision had been announced.
- Midstream (onshore plant): on 10 August 2026 ExxonMobil announced a letter of intent to the SMDC joint venture of Saipem, McDermott Energy Solutions (UK), Daewoo Engineering & Construction and China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation, for limited engineering and procurement services for Phase 1. Saipem’s release of 7 August 2026 describes the same letter of intent for preliminary works, with the final award conditional on the investment decision and approvals. It is not yet a full EPC contract.
- Long-lead upstream equipment: on 17 August 2026 the Area 4 co-venturers awarded about US$1.1 billion of pre-investment contracts, the largest to OneSubsea (subsea production systems, controls and umbilicals) with Aker Solutions Mozambique providing in-country support, plus Advanced Technology Valve (large-bore valves), Corinth Pipeworks and Sumitomo Corporation of America (line pipe) and Zhejiang Jiuli (mechanically lined pipe and bends).
- Upstream and shorebase: on 10 September 2026 ExxonMobil signed a letter of intent with the Saipem and Jan De Nul consortium for upstream engineering, procurement and technical services (18 wells, subsea pipelines and manifolds), and awarded shorebase contracts to two Mozambican-owned companies: CFML Logistic SA (land and infrastructure services at the Pemba Bulk Terminal) and Alistair Group Mozambique (shorebase logistics). The release puts the project’s expected economic activity in Mozambique at about US$6 billion and opportunities for about 7,500 Mozambicans during construction.
- Early infrastructure works: a contract of 178 million euros to the Mota-Engil and Bonatti consortium, reported in September 2026.
- What the decision would unlock: the full EPC award, camp expansion at Afungi, module transport and installation, port and road works, and the second major procurement wave in Cabo Delgado.
Who buys what: operators, EPC contractors and the tiers below
| Buyer | Typically procures | How suppliers get in |
|---|---|---|
| Operators (TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil) | Drilling and subsea services, marine logistics, security, camps, specialised engineering, long-term maintenance | Vendor registration and prequalification on the operator’s portal; a Mozambican entity and local content evidence are increasingly required |
| EPC contractors (CCS JV; SMDC JV and Saipem-Jan De Nul once awarded; Technip Energies, JGC and Samsung Heavy; Mota-Engil and Bonatti) | Civil works, fabrication, scaffolding, electrical and instrumentation, equipment hire, transport, inspection, manpower | Tender invitations by package; a local partner is often needed for categories under the preference and exclusivity regimes of the Local Content Law |
| Tier-two contractors and service companies | Materials, consumables, catering, cleaning, PPE, small works, IT and telecoms | Direct quotations; speed of mobilisation and compliance paperwork decide |
In every tier the questions are the same: are you registered in Mozambique, are you a Mozambican or preferred person under the Local Content Law, can you invoice locally with VAT, can you put compliant staff on site quickly, and can you prove it on paper. The rest of this series covers each of those.
Milestones to watch between now and 2031
| When | Milestone | Why it matters to suppliers |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (target) | Rovuma LNG final investment decision | Would trigger the largest single procurement wave since 2019 |
| 2026 to 2027 | Mozambique LNG construction peak | Highest demand for construction services, site accommodation and logistics |
| Second half of 2028 (plan) | Coral Norte first gas | Shift from construction to operations spend offshore |
| 2029 (expected) | Mozambique LNG first cargo | Start of long-term operations and maintenance contracts |
| 2031 (anticipated) | Rovuma LNG start-up | Second operations base in Afungi |
Frequently asked questions
Has Rovuma LNG taken its final investment decision?
Not as of October 2026. ExxonMobil lifted force majeure in November 2025, issued a letter of intent for limited engineering and procurement services in August 2026 and states a target of deciding during 2026.
When will Mozambique LNG produce its first cargo?
The operator expects first LNG in 2029. Project progress was reported at 40% when construction fully restarted on 29 January 2026.
Which companies hold the main construction contracts?
Mozambique LNG onshore: the CCS joint venture of Saipem, McDermott and Chiyoda. Coral Norte: Technip Energies with JGC and Samsung Heavy Industries, awarded June 2026. Rovuma LNG: letters of intent to the SMDC joint venture (Saipem, McDermott, Daewoo E&C, CPECC) for the onshore plant and to Saipem-Jan De Nul for the upstream scope, about US$1.1 billion of pre-investment contracts for long-lead subsea equipment, shorebase contracts with CFML Logistic and Alistair Group, and early works with Mota-Engil and Bonatti; the full EPC awards depend on the investment decision.
Sources
- TotalEnergies: Mozambique LNG announces the full restart of all its activities (29 January 2026)
- JGC: EPCIC contract for the Coral Norte FLNG project (8 June 2026)
- Technip Energies: major contract for Coral Norte floating LNG project
- ExxonMobil in Mozambique: letter of intent to the SMDC joint venture for Rovuma LNG (10 August 2026)
- Saipem: letter of intent for the Rovuma LNG onshore project (7 August 2026)
- ExxonMobil in Mozambique: over US$1 billion in pre-investment contracts for Rovuma LNG (17 August 2026)
- ExxonMobil in Mozambique: upstream EPCI selection and shorebase service providers (10 September 2026)
- TotalEnergies: response on Mozambique LNG (attack on Palma from 24 March 2021)
- Bharat PetroResources: project progress of about 42% (FY 2025-26)
General information prepared by dBA from legislation and public sources available at the date shown. It is not tax or legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your case with our team before acting.
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