TotalEnergies, a French energy firm, plans to expand an airstrip in Afungi, northern Mozambique.
Thierry Lacave, one of the directors, talked about this plan. He spoke after meeting Mateus Magala, Mozambique’s Minister for Transport and Communications.
Currently, the airstrip is 1,700 meters long. The idea is to stretch it to 2,300 meters. Why?
To allow big planes like the Boeing 737 to land there. Lacave stated this change will boost air traffic capacity. It comes at a time when the area sees a rise in natural gas projects.
Security is another concern for TotalEnergies. The company plans to make the area around a future LNG plant safer.
Work on the project had stopped in March 2021. This was due to an armed attack near the facility. The area, Cabo Delgado, has faced ongoing conflicts from insurgents.
Patrick Pouyanné, the company’s president, shared some news. He wants to restart the project before this year ends.
On the other side, Minister Magala is eager to move forward. He stated that security conditions have gotten better in Cabo Delgado.
Improved safety comes from successful actions against armed groups. Magala also sees a bright future for the province.
He believes it will drive economic and social growth for Mozambique. Abundant resources make this possible.
However, there is a dark side. Cabo Delgado has witnessed a six-year conflict. Some attacks even link back to extremist groups like the Islamic State.
The Mozambican armed forces have fought against these security threats since July 2021.
They get help from Rwanda and a regional group called the Southern African Development Community.
The fight has a high cost. Conflicts in northern Mozambique have displaced one million people.
They have also caused around 4,000 deaths. The President of Mozambique confirms more than 2,000 people have died because of this.
Background
Mozambique’s northern region has become a hotspot for natural gas exploration, notably in the Rovuma Basin.
International energy giants such as ExxonMobil, Total, and ENI are the key players in this field.
They are investing heavily to tap into these vast reserves. It’s estimated that the Rovuma Basin holds around 85 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Due to this potential, Mozambique is on the brink of becoming a significant global energy supplier.
However, the country also faces challenges like infrastructure gaps and security concerns.
There have been incidents of insurgency in the northern region, affecting the smooth operation of these projects.
Despite these hurdles, if managed well, the gas fields could be transformative for Mozambique’s economy, providing much-needed revenue and employment opportunities.