Ongoing developments in the north of Mozambique hold the potential to change the country’s narrative completely as it sets out to become one of the leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) players in the world.Speak to logistics service providers and they will tell you the project is gaining attention, with a lot of activity taking place on the ground.With offset agreements in place for first cargo to be produced in 2024, it’s all systems go.According to various logistics experts already on site and working, the Mozambique LNG projects are good news for the entire region and are driving a c t iv it y.“It is not just good news for large contractors and service providers, but also for the small players in the industry as there is a lot of spin off. It is an incredibly positive development in our region,” one operator, who preferred not to be named, told Freight News.At the Afungi Liquefied Natural Gas Plant in Cabo Delgado, where the country’s first onshore LNG plant will be constructed, activity is on the increase. Valued at $20bn, this project, led by Total, includes the development of the Golfinho and Atum fields located within Offshore Area 1 and the construction of a two-train liquefaction plant with a capacity of 13.1 million tonnes per year. The Area 1 contains more than 60 Tcf of gas resources, of which 18 Tcf will be developed with the first two trains.At present the project logistics is predominantly maritime as most roads in the area were heavily affected by f loods in 2019.According to another expert, infrastructure development will have to take place.“Afungi was always intended to be serviced by vessels, with facilities for bigger vessels set to be constructed. It was, however, envisioned that there would be a fair chunk of logistics on land. The f loods in 2019 however wreaked havoc on the road infrastructure and the roads remain under stress – which means all logistics is handled via maritime transport.”It would also have been necessary to strengthen bridges if more cargo was to be moved via land. “The bridges at present don’t have the capacity to handle the necessary cargo f lows. Going north at the moment one can only get to Nacala by road.”Several companies are already providing logistics services into Afungi using landing craft and multipurpose vessels as part of their logistics cargo support to the project from the other hub ports in Mozambique, including Nacala and Temba, as well as the ports of Durban and Mombasa.While actual construction has yet to start at Afungi, site clearing and preparation work is fully under way.“Currently there is only a beach landing site, but this will be upgraded to a material off loading facility and a gas jetty, while proper infrastructure for gas exports will be constructed by 2024,” said an operator.Mozambique’s LNG gas fields continue to draw interest from around the world as they are seen as an extremely profitable project.
