TotalEnergies wants production of sea cucumbers in megaproject gas

A TotalEnergies aims to create two pilot areas of sea cucumber production in Palma, Cabo Delgado, through a program to restore livelihoods and increase the income of affected communities in northern Mozambique.

The initiative is part of a new pilot programme for the development of sea cucumbers and the enhancement of the inter-mares area launched by TotalEnergies EP Mozambique Area 1 (TEPMA1), a concessionaire for the megaproject of natural gas Mozambique LNG, according to an invitation to demonstrate interest in the implementation of the project.

The project is part of the company's Strategy for the Restoration of the Means of Life and aims to support households in the communities of Quitunda, Maganja (Mfunzi) and Mondlane, in the district of Palma, affected by the limitations of access to marine resources resulting from the implementation of the natural gas project in the Afungi peninsula, far north of Mozambique.

The initiative aims to “restor and, where possible, improve the livelihoods and living conditions of eligible intertidal collectors”, 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 main components of the programme will be the establishment of two pilot areas for the production of sea cucumbers, in places to be defined within the framework of the project.

Sea cucumber is considered one of the most commercial marine resources in Asia and can reach sales prices of more than a hundred dollars per kilogram after processing, depending on species and quality.

In the notice, the company also states that it intends to implement a participatory process of testing, validation and adaptation of production techniques appropriate to local conditions, including the identification and selection of areas of cultivation, settlement procedures, feeding, protection and security mechanisms, as well as the development and strengthening of value chains associated with the activity.

The programme provides for the technical and practical training of beneficiary producers and technicians of local government institutions, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of interventions and facilitating their future replication.

In addition to the production of sea cucumbers, the plan includes actions to enhance the inter-mares zone, through participatory tests of the use of artificial substrates, known as “culch”, to increase the productivity of these coastal areas.

The activities should also include the monitoring of pilot areas, the identification of suitable places for implementation of interventions, complementary training of government producers and technicians and the development of a long-term plan based on lessons learned from the experimental phase.

To carry out the project, TEPMA1 launched a process of manifestation of interest, which runs until November 12, 2026, aimed at pre-qualifying companies and organizations with proven experience in similar activities and technical capacity to develop the planned work.

The launch of this program comes a few weeks after the concessionaire announced another local economic development project associated with Mozambique LNG, providing for the installation of an industrial unit to produce 5,000 tons of coconut biodiesel per year for the operations of the gas enterprise.

This project also integrates TotalEnergies' Community Development Strategy in northern Cape Delgado and provides for the creation of a local supply chain based on small agricultural producers in the Palma region.

The Mozambique LNG project, valued at around 20 billion dollars (17.4 billion euros), officially resumed in January this year, after almost four years of suspension due to insecurity caused by armed attacks in Cabo Delgado.

According to TotalEnergies, the project is currently completed by about 50% and continues to move forward with the aim of initiating the production of liquefied natural gas in 2029.