Maputo, Jan. 16, 2026 (Lusa) - Italian oil company Eni announced on Friday the launch of the hull of the Coral Norte FLNG floating platform at a shipyard in South Korea, which will double the production of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in Mozambique from 2028.
In a statement, Eni said that the launch of the hull at the Geoje shipyard, in the presence of Mozambique's Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Estevão Pale, is "fully in line with the project schedule".
"It will be the second state-of-the-art floating LNG facility to be deployed in the ultra-deep waters of the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique, and will bring gas from the northern part of the Coral reservoir into production," explains Eni, the operator in this area.
It adds that "based on the knowledge and experience gained" since Coral South FLNG began production in 2022, Coral North FLNG "has been designed to offer greater efficiency and optimised performance, reducing costs and minimising execution risks, with the aim of completing the project on schedule in 2028".
With a liquefaction capacity of 3.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), Coral Norte-FLNG will double Mozambique's total LNG production to 7 mtpa, a milestone that will position the country "as the third largest producer and exporter of LNG in Africa, reinforcing its role as a key player in the global energy market".
The executive director of oil company Eni, Claudio Descalzi, said on 2 October in Maputo that Coral Norte LNG production will start within three years, making the country the third-largest producer in Africa. "We have started the calendar for 2028. This means we are starting today with the FID and will begin production within 3 years. And that is a commitment, not just talk. It is not a dream, it is a commitment to you, Mr President, in front of everyone," said Claudio Descalzi during the signing of the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the second floating platform, Coral Norte, worth $7.2 billion (€6.2 billion).
The partners in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, off Cabo Delgado, Eni, Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), CNPC, Kogas and XRG signed the FID for this new project in Maputo, in the presence of Mozambican President Daniel Chapo.
The head of the Italian oil company, which operates the FNLG Coral Norte floating platform, as well as the identical Coral Sul, says that it "will make Mozambique the third-largest LNG producer in Africa," after Nigeria and Algeria, doubling the country's current production (Coral Sul alone).
According to Descalzi, Mozambique "is also positioning itself in the global energy transition".
"Along this path, each of us is a long-term partner committed to the country's growth and prosperity," he said, adding: "Coral North is the second large-scale floating LNG development located in ultra-deep waters worldwide. But we know exactly where the first one is, right here in Mozambique: Coral South."
He then recalled that Coral South alone "has successfully delivered more than 120 LNG cargoes since the first gas in 2022."
Mozambique has three approved mega-development projects for the exploration of LNG reserves in the Rovuma basin, ranked among the largest in the world, off the coast of Cabo Delgado, including one by TotalEnergies (13 mtpa), which is in the process of resuming after suspension due to terrorist attacks in the region, and another by ExxonMobil (18 mtpa), which is awaiting a final investment decision, both on the Afungi peninsula.
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
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