The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) plans to import up to 550 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Zambia through a proposed $300 million transmission line aimed at easing power shortages in its copper and cobalt mining region.
The 200-kilometer Kalumbila–Kolwezi Interconnector Project will connect Kalumbila in northwestern Zambia with Kolwezi in Lualaba province, southeastern DRC. The line will have a thermal capacity of 700 MW, with a design that allows for a future increase to more than 1 gigawatt (GW), according to the project partners.
On October 6, the DRC’s Strategic Investment Fund (FIS-RDC), Enterprise Power DRC SARL (EnPower), commodities trader Trafigura and Gridworks Development Partners signed a strategic framework agreement to finance, build and operate the interconnector. The project has secured the necessary concessions, licenses and authorizations, according to Trafigura, although further development and financing steps remain.
Power Supply to Support Mining Growth
The interconnector is intended to help address the DRC’s structural electricity deficit, which the partners estimate at more than 1 GW. Limited access to reliable, competitively priced electricity has constrained mining and mineral processing, particularly in the country’s copper-producing south.
Additional imports could help advance mining and refining projects that power shortages have held back, while reducing reliance on costly alternatives such as diesel generation. Higher industrial output could also boost government revenues and support employment, although these benefits will depend on the project’s implementation and the availability of electricity.
The line will strengthen the DRC’s connection to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), a regional system that links national electricity grids and facilitates cross-border trade. It will also create export opportunities for licensed Zambian power producers and could support investment in additional generation capacity.
Financing and Implementation
FIS-RDC, EnPower and Gridworks intend to provide equity financing, with Gridworks serving as lead equity investor and majority shareholder. Discussions are underway with Zambian entities about potential investment. Trafigura has agreed to arrange a significant share of the project’s debt financing.
EnPower, a Congolese power trader and SAPP member, has been importing electricity into the DRC since 2023. The new interconnector would add transmission capacity to support imports into the mining region.
The partners have not announced when construction will start or when operations will begin. The $300 million estimate covers projected construction costs; it is not confirmation that the full amount has already been raised.
If completed, the Kalumbila–Kolwezi interconnector could expand regional electricity trade and help ease a major constraint on industrial growth in the DRC’s mining heartland.
