In early 2026, France’s TotalEnergies announced the full resumption of the Mozambique LNG project, which had been suspended due to regional instability; this move effectively put the plan to build 17 associated LNG carriers back on the agenda. However, lingering uncertainties regarding the project’s return to normal operations and its initial production launch (targeted for 2029) have once again clouded the shipbuilding plan, forcing shipyards to extend the periods for which they are holding reserved construction slots.
According to TradeWinds, the ordering schedule for the 17 LNG carriers originally planned by TotalEnergies for the Mozambique LNG project has been adjusted again, shifting from the first quarter of 2026 to the third quarter of 2026.
Specifically, TotalEnergies has requested that HD Hyundai and Samsung Heavy Industries extend the confirmation deadline to September 2026 for the 17 LNG carrier slots reserved for the Mozambique LNG project. Following this extension, the project partners and shipowners—who have already been allocated these slots—must finalize the allocation arrangements with HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries by September of this year.
Under Letters of Intent (LOIs) signed in 2020, HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries secured orders for nine and eight vessels, respectively. HD Hyundai Samho’s orders involve contracts with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (five vessels) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (four vessels), while Samsung Heavy Industries’ eight vessels are contracted to NYK Line (four vessels) and Greece’s Maran Gas Maritime (four vessels).
Reserving a shipbuilding slot entails securing shipyard dock space in advance—a step viewed as a preliminary move prior to placing a formal order. While shipyards typically reserve slots for periods ranging from six months to a year, HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries have held these slots for six consecutive years, awaiting the restart of the Mozambique LNG project to finalize the orders.
Due to multiple delays, the delivery schedule for the aforementioned 17 LNG carriers has been pushed back from the original 2023 target to 2028 or 2029; given the current situation, further delays are highly likely.
Meanwhile, shipbuilding costs for this batch of vessels have surged. When the letters of intent were signed, the cost per LNG carrier was just $180 million. However, according to the latest shipbuilding values released by Clarkson earlier this month, the current price for a 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier is approximately $248.5 million. Based on these figures, the cost per vessel has risen by $68.5 million, meaning the total cost for the 17 new ships could increase by approximately $1.16 billion.
Regarding the Mozambique LNG project, TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné stated: “We are renegotiating agreements with project partners, aiming to fully restart construction of the Mozambique LNG project by the middle of this year.”
The Mozambique LNG project, initiated in 2010, involves a planned investment of $20 billion to develop Area 1 in northern Mozambique, with a projected annual LNG capacity of 13 million tonnes (13 MTPA). In 2021, TotalEnergies announced an indefinite suspension of work, citing local instability; in October 2025—after a hiatus of approximately four years—the company submitted a request to the Mozambican government to lift the “force majeure” status and formally announced the project’s resumption.
In early 2026, Patrick Pouyanné met with the President of the Republic of Mozambique, and the two parties jointly announced the full restart of the Mozambique LNG project, with a workforce of over 4,000 people redeployed for construction. As of January 2026, the project had reached 40% completion.