TotalEnergies intends to establish two pilot sea cucumber production areas in Palma, Cabo Delgado, through a programme to restore livelihoods and increase the income of affected communities in northern Mozambique.
The initiative is part of a new pilot programme for sea cucumber development and intertidal zone enhancement launched by TotalEnergies EP Mozambique Area 1 (TEPMA1), concessionaire of the Mozambique LNG natural gas megaproject, according to a call for expressions of interest for the implementation of the project.
The project falls under the company’s Livelihood Restoration Strategy and aims to support households in the communities of Quitunda, Maganja (Mfunzi) and Mondlane, in Palma district, which have been affected by restrictions on access to marine resources resulting from the implementation of the natural gas project on the Afungi peninsula, in the far north of Mozambique.
The initiative seeks to “restore and, wherever possible, improve the livelihoods and living conditions of eligible intertidal harvesters”, focusing on the development of an economic activity considered sustainable and with the potential to generate income for coastal populations.
According to the documentation, one of the programme’s main components will be the establishment of two pilot sea cucumber production areas at locations to be determined as part of the project.
Sea cucumbers are considered one of the marine resources with the highest commercial value in Asia, and can fetch selling prices of more than US$100 per kilogram after processing, depending on the species and quality.
In the notice, the company also states that it intends to implement a participatory process to test, validate and adapt production techniques suited to local conditions. This will include identifying and selecting cultivation areas, stocking procedures, feeding, protection and security mechanisms, as well as developing and strengthening the value chains associated with the activity.
The programme provides for technical and practical training for beneficiary producers and technicians from local government institutions, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of the interventions and facilitating their future replication.
In addition to sea cucumber production, the plan includes measures to enhance the intertidal zone through participatory trials using artificial substrates, known as “culch”, to increase the productivity of these coastal areas.
Activities are also expected to include monitoring the pilot areas, identifying suitable locations for implementing the interventions, further training for producers and government technicians, and preparing a long-term plan based on lessons learned during the experimental phase.
To implement the project, TEPMA1 has launched a call for expressions of interest, open until 12 November 2026, for the pre-qualification of companies and organisations with proven experience in similar activities and the technical capacity to carry out the planned work.
The launch of this programme comes just weeks after the concessionaire announced another local economic development project associated with Mozambique LNG, involving plans to establish an industrial unit to produce 5,000 tonnes of coconut biodiesel annually for use in the gas project’s operations.
That project is also part of TotalEnergies’ community development strategy in northern Cabo Delgado and envisages the creation of a local supply chain based on small-scale agricultural producers in the Palma region.
The Mozambique LNG project, valued at around US$20 billion (€17.4 billion), officially resumed in January this year after being suspended for almost four years because of insecurity caused by armed attacks in Cabo Delgado.
According to TotalEnergies, the project is currently about 50% complete and continues to progress towards its target of starting liquefied natural gas production in 2029.
Source: Club Of Mozambique
