Power infrastructure along the Lobito Corridor is set for a new feasibility study as the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) moves to support hydropower expansion and electricity distribution upgrades in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia.
USTDA signed an agreement with Anzana Electric Group on September 22 to fund the study, which will cover Lualaba Province in the DRC and North-Western Province in Zambia. The project is designed to improve electricity reliability for copper and cobalt mining operations and more than 3 million people across the region.
Plans include assessing the expansion of hydropower generation, rehabilitation of existing facilities and upgrades to distribution networks. The study will also examine electricity demand from mining operations and identify infrastructure needed to extend reliable power to surrounding communities.
More than 500,000 homes and businesses are expected to receive new electricity connections as the project develops, according to Anzana. Mining companies along the corridor could also reduce their reliance on diesel generators, which are used where grid supply is limited or unreliable.
Technical work will include an assessment of existing distribution systems in the DRC, forecasts for mining-related energy demand and plans for new generation and rehabilitation projects. In Zambia, the study will prepare tender documents and economic, financial and environmental assessments for future infrastructure projects.
Funding at this stage is aimed at project preparation rather than construction. USTDA's project opportunity states that a $3 million grant to Anzana will finance the feasibility study, with a US firm selected through a competitive process to carry out the work.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen infrastructure around the Lobito Corridor, which connects mineral-producing areas of the DRC and Zambia with the Angolan port of Lobito. Improving electricity supply is particularly relevant to the region's mining industry, where copper and cobalt production requires reliable and increasingly large amounts of power.
USTDA and Anzana signed the agreement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. Companies interested in conducting the feasibility study have until October 26, 2026, to submit proposals.
