Mozambique’s vision of LNG-fuelled prosperity faces challenges

There are grounds for optimism that Mozambique’s planned $30bn liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project could provide a foundation for the ailing economy’s resurgence. Mozambique’s exports could plug a mid-2020s global LNG supply gap, and Portuguese gas distributor Galp’s vice-chairman, Carlos Gomes da Silva, has said that the “next decade should be the Mozambique decade”. The sums involved are substantial: petroleum and energy minister Max Tonela has said the Eni and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation projects are expected to provide the government with an estimated $77bn over their lifespans.