“Now we have nothing here”Mozambique

Justiça Ambiental

Overview

The project aims to extract 65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from offshore Rovuma Basin, with gas processed onshore at the Afungi Peninsula.

Construction began in 2019 and was suspended in 2021 due to violent conflict, although activities have partially resumed since 2023.

The project is owned by a consortium with TotalEnergies as the majority owner and operator, and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) as the only African partner.

JBIC signed a US$3 billion loan to finance the Mozambique LNG project through Moz LNG1 Financing Company Ltd, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Later, on February 16, 2021, JBIC signed a US$536 million loan with Mitsui & Co Ltd to support the company’s involvement in the project.

Criticisms

Displacing over 550 families and disrupting the livelihoods of about 5,000 people dependent on the sea.

Failing to provide promised replacement land and facing significant issues with compensation and resettlement.

Causing community tensions, environmental impacts, and problems with compensation payment processes.

Posing significant disadvantages to Mozambique, including low and delayed revenues, unethical tax avoidance that could cost the country billions, and the risk of economic liability.

Adding to global climate injustice with an estimated 3.3 to 4.5 billion tonnes of carbon emissions.

And more.

Justiça Ambiental

“They [TotalEnergies] told us that because of the agreements we signed – in 2023 - we will receive houses in Quitunda (resettlement village). To this day we haven’t received the houses or any kind of support. In Nsemo we used to live on our own land, produce our own food, send our children to schools and madrassas. All this coexistence has been ruined, and now we have nothing here, even in Nsemo. We are asking for help.”

Juma Issa

Nsemo, Mozambique