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AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

ABB is providing an end-to-end electrical system for the Mozambique LNG project (Image: Total)

Other subsidiaries of ABB will then deliver major’s plans told Upstream earlier this month
these facilities to the site on the Afungi Penin- that this might change in the near future. They
sula where Mozambique LNG is constructing an said Total had informed staffers that they should
onshore complex to support its work at the Area be prepared to mobilise before the end of March.
1 block, it said. According to one of Upstream’s sources, the
The electrical control and management sys- company wants to resume work in late March,
tem will make use of ABB’s 110-kV gas-insulated provided that it can secure the safety and secu-
switchgears (GIS) and low-voltage switchgears, rity of employees and contract workers. Mozam-
along with 33-kV and 11-kV medium voltage bique LNG’s contractors are waiting for Total to
switchgears, the statement noted. confirm its intentions before making their con-
Brandon Spencer, the president of ABB crete plans, he said.
Energy Industries, expressed satisfaction with Meanwhile, the other source reported that
the contract. “Winning this project is a testa- most of the consortium’s local workers had
ment to ABB’s technical superiority in electrifi- already returned to the construction site on the
cation technologies, as well as our highly skilled Afungi Peninsula. Most of the staffers that left in
management and engineering capabilities,” he January were “top supervisors,” and Total wants
said. “We are proud to be part of Africa’s eco- to send them back before the end of the month,
nomic growth story, especially Mozambique.” he said.
Johan de Villiers, the company’s global At present, Upstream said, there are about
vice-president for oil and gas, added: “We have 1,600 workers present at the Mozambique LNG
optimised and customised our solutions to meet onshore complex. Total’s plans would boost the
the specific technical and capital expenditure number to around 4,000, it reported.
requirements of the customer. With ABB as the The Mozambique LNG consortium hopes
main original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to begin gas production at Area 1, which lies
for electrical systems, [the] Mozambique LNG offshore within the Rovuma basin, in 2024, and
project will benefit in terms of cost-efficiency, will bring the first train of their gas liquefaction
maintenance, service as well as upgrades and plant online around the same time. This facility
expansions.” will eventually have two production trains, each
with a capacity of 6.44mn tpy.
Back to work Total is serving as the operator of the group,
ABB announced the contract award shortly and its subsidiary Total E&P Mozambique Area
after Upstream reported that Total (France), 1 has a 26.5% stake. Remaining equity is divided
the operator of the Mozambique LNG project, between two Japanese companies, Mitsui and
might be sending part of its workforce back to Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp.
the Afungi Peninsula to resume work on the (JOGMEC), with 20%; Mozambique’s national
group’s onshore complex. oil company (NOC) ENH, with 15%; Bharat
Total had evacuated several thousand Petroleum (India), with 10%; ONGC Videsh Ltd
non-essential workers from the site in January, (OVL) (India), with 10%; Beas Rovuma Energy
following attacks on nearby villages in Mozam- Mozambique (a 60:40 joint venture between
bique’s northern Cabo Delgado Province. But OVL and Oil India Ltd (OIL)), with 10%; and
two sources with knowledge of the French PTTEP (Thailand), with 8.5%. ™

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