Case Study: Mozambique LNG Ever since gas was found in the Rovuma Basin off the coast
The climate impact will be significant as the production,
Dissent is met with threats from the government and private
of northern Mozambique in 2010, the communities and
transport, liquefaction, shipping, re-gasification, and power
security, with police sometimes appearing in order to stop
environment of Cabo Delgado province have borne the brunt
plant combustion of LNG is highly energy-intensive, and thus
meetings. The “consultation process” is farcical, as communities
of corporations rushing in to grab their resources. Anadarko,
carbon-intensive; the upstream greenhouse gas emissions
cannot speak out in the presence of leaders, many of whom
ExxonMobil, and Eni — financed by China, France, Italy,
from LNG are almost double the greenhouse gas emissions
have relationships with the gas industry or government, for fear
South Korea, and other governments, as well as many private
of conventional natural gas. The carbon emissions from the
of threats or difficulty with any compensation that may have
banks (listed on next page) — are key companies involved in
onshore and offshore projects will increase Mozambique’s total
been promised.82
extracting and processing the gas.73
emissions by at least 8 percent.79
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If these are the impacts of the exploration phase, one shudders The projects are still in the exploration phase, but already
The environmental impact of LNG development in this region
to think what will happen when companies actually start
thousands of people are being forcibly relocated.74 Anadarko
is massive. Not only will it destroy fishing grounds, but it also
operating.
and its partner companies are also proposing to build the
threatens the Quirimbas National Park, a UNESCO biosphere
country’s first LNG export facility on 17,000 acres on the coast
reserve that includes areas of pristine coral reefs, mangroves,
— with the capacity to export nearly 23 million metric tons of
and seagrass beds.80 Dredging, waste disposal, and
LNG per year. With their farmland and fishing grounds being
construction will devastate ecosystems of endangered plant
taken by multinational corporations, entire communities will
and animal species.81
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lose their homes, land, and livelihoods. Locals will receive 76
very few jobs, and an influx of workers from other countries and other parts of Mozambique will likely bring an increase in diseases, including sexually transmitted infections, and place a strain on already limited health-care and education resources.77
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