- LNG terminals Africa capacity is set to exceed 50 MTPA in 2026, led by Mozambique LNG’s 13 MTPA restart and ExxonMobil’s 18 MTPA Rovuma project targeting a final investment decision.
- Nigeria’s NLNG Train 7 lifts total plant capacity to 30 MTPA once complete, extending West Africa’s export lead.
- South Africa’s Richards Bay terminal is adding a 3-4.5 MTPA floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) to cover a looming domestic gas shortfall.
- Tanzania’s Likong’o-Mchinga project, backed by Shell and Equinor, targets 10-15 MTPA and is nearing a final investment decision.
- Atlantic-facing terminals in Mauritania, Senegal, the Republic of Congo and Gabon are using floating LNG (FLNG) units to bypass the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz entirely.
Africa’s LNG sector is moving through its busiest construction phase in a decade. More than $50 billion in active investment is now split between onshore mega-terminals in Mozambique and Tanzania and a wave of floating LNG projects along the Atlantic coast, with South Africa emerging as the continent’s first significant LNG importer.
LNG Terminals Africa: 2026 Capacity Overview
Seven projects account for the bulk of new capacity reaching final investment decision or construction in 2026.
| Country | Project & Operator | Type | Capacity (MTPA) | 2026 Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozambique | Mozambique LNG (TotalEnergies) | Onshore | 13.0 | Force majeure lifted; full site restart underway |
| Mozambique | Rovuma LNG (ExxonMobil) | Onshore/Modular | 18.0 | FID targeted late 2026 |
| Nigeria | NLNG Train 7 | Onshore | 8.0 | Under construction; lifts total plant capacity to 30 MTPA |
| Tanzania | Likong’o-Mchinga (Shell/Equinor) | Onshore | 10.0–15.0 | Commercial agreements closing; FID expected |
| Mauritania/Senegal | Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (bp/Kosmos) | FLNG | 2.5 (Phase 1) | Operational; Phase 2 in planning |
| Republic of Congo | Congo LNG (Eni) | FLNG | 3.0 | Phase 2 modular deployment |
| South Africa | Richards Bay (ZET/ExxonMobil) | Import FSRU | 3.0–4.5 | Supply agreement signed; Phase 1 engineering underway |
| Gabon | Cap Lopez FLNG (Perenco) | FLNG | 0.7 | First production reached |
Combined, these LNG terminals Africa projects represent one of the fastest-growing regional capacity additions tracked by the International Energy Agency, which puts global LNG export capacity reaching FID since 2019 at over 450 bcm/yr.
Mozambique and East Africa’s Onshore Push
TotalEnergies formally lifted its multi-year force majeure at the Afungi site in January, restarting construction on the $20.5 billion Mozambique LNG project with more than 4,000 workers back on site. First cargo is targeted for 2029. ExxonMobil is separately pushing for a 2026 FID on the 18 MTPA Rovuma LNG asset next door, part of a wider ExxonMobil LNG portfolio that spans Golden Pass, Papua New Guinea and now East Africa.
Tanzania’s government is finalising terms on the Lindi liquefaction plant, backed by Shell and Equinor, with construction preparation gaining pace through 2026.
West Africa’s Floating LNG Terminals
West Africa’s story in 2026 is FLNG rather than onshore construction. Mauritania and Senegal entered the global export market via Greater Tortue Ahmeyim, Eni is scaling Congo LNG toward 3 MTPA using fast-tracked floating units, and Perenco’s Cap Lopez FLNG has reached first production off Gabon. Nigeria, meanwhile, is expanding conventional capacity through NLNG Train 7 and building on its position as the region’s largest terminal market — detailed in OGSN’s West Africa tank terminal guide.
LNG Terminals Africa Storage and Tank Infrastructure
The engineering choice behind every project on this list is onshore cryogenic tank versus floating storage. Mozambique LNG’s twin full-containment tanks require concrete and nickel-steel alloy construction to hold LNG at -162°C — a capital-intensive build now back under active construction as force majeure lifts. Richards Bay and the GTA project take the opposite route, using FSRUs to avoid that upfront cryogenic tank spend entirely.
For LNG terminals Africa developers, that FSRU-versus-onshore decision comes down to capital exposure and construction timeline rather than long-run cost. Ranked against the rest of the world’s export capacity in OGSN’s Top 10 LNG Terminals in the World 2026, none of Africa’s current projects yet crack the global top tier — but Rovuma and Lindi, if FID lands in 2026, would change that within three years.
South Africa’s Richards Bay FSRU and the Gas Cliff
South Africa faces a domestic gas cliff as feedgas through the ROMPCO pipeline from Mozambique declines. The government signed a supply agreement with ExxonMobil to anchor Richards Bay as the country’s first LNG import terminal, with a 3–4.5 MTPA Phase 1 FSRU now in engineering. It’s a smaller build than the export mega-projects further north, but it marks South Africa’s shift from gas exporter-adjacent economy to LNG importer.
Whether this capacity actually reaches contracted volumes depends less on the terminals themselves than on the pipeline and grid networks meant to carry gas inland — the piece of the puzzle that consistently lags Africa’s export ambitions.
How much LNG terminal capacity is Africa adding in 2026?
Africa’s major projects reaching construction or FID in 2026 total more than 50 MTPA combined, led by Mozambique LNG (13 MTPA) and ExxonMobil’s Rovuma LNG (18 MTPA).
Which African countries are building new LNG terminals?
Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mauritania, Senegal, the Republic of Congo, South Africa and Gabon all have active LNG terminal projects moving through construction or FID in 2026.
Why are African LNG terminals using floating LNG (FLNG) technology?
FLNG units let developers monetise offshore gas reserves without the capital cost and lead time of building onshore cryogenic storage tanks, which is why Mauritania, Senegal, Congo and Gabon have all adopted the technology.
Why is South Africa building an LNG import terminal?
Declining feedgas through the ROMPCO pipeline from Mozambique has created a domestic “gas cliff,” prompting South Africa to sign a supply deal with ExxonMobil and build an FSRU import terminal at Richards Bay.