The total gas potential in the Rovuma Basin has drawn international attention, with four major projects now underway. ENI\u2019s Coral North project remains the only fully operational LNG development, while TotalEnergies\u2019 Mozambique LNG project, ExxonMobil\u2019s Rovuma development, and ENI\u2019s Coral South project have faced delays due to security concerns. In October 2025, TotalEnergies announced plans to lift force majeure, signaling a resumption of work along the Golfinho pipeline, which carries gas from offshore fields to the Afungi export terminal. Despite the previous suspension, satellite monitoring shows dredging continuing through ecologically sensitive areas.<\/p>\n
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Analysts from Data Desk, a UK-based research group, note that the dredging has produced sediment plumes far larger than those anticipated in the project\u2019s environmental impact assessment (EIA). These plumes can smother coral and seagrass beds, disrupting marine life across a wide area. TotalEnergies\u2019 EIA acknowledged that pipeline construction would necessitate cutting through coral reefs and that recovery could take decades, though limited baseline data on the region\u2019s coral diversity makes the full impact uncertain.<\/p>\n
Environmental organizations, including Justi\u00e7a Ambiental, have criticized the cumulative approach of the EIAs. Each company evaluated its own project\u2019s environmental footprint but largely ignored the overlapping effects of four large-scale LNG operations in close proximity. \u201cThe developers were caught flat-footed by the extent of coral and other rich marine environments,\u201d said Louis Goddard, a research analyst at Data Desk. \u201cBuilding pipelines without significant ecological damage is a very difficult task under these circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read also:\u00a0Fire disrupts COP30 talks in Brazil, as key climate decisions for Africa await finalisation<\/a><\/p>\n The economic stakes for Mozambique are immense. LNG exports represent a potential source of billions in revenue and foreign investment, crucial for a country grappling with persistent poverty and insurgency-related disruptions. Yet the environmental cost is also profound. Coral reefs and seagrass beds support fisheries that feed local communities and underpin tourism in northern Mozambique. Their degradation threatens food security, livelihoods, and the resilience of coastal ecosystems to climate change.<\/p>\n Previous research shows that dredging and construction in reef areas can reduce fish biomass by up to 50% in the first year, while recovery of coral structures can take decades depending on water quality and temperature. The Mozambican government, TotalEnergies, and Van Oord have yet to provide detailed responses to these emerging concerns.<\/p>\n
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