Power Grid

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government has signed an investment agreement with international partners to advance the Kalumbila–Kolwezi Interconnector Project (KKIP), a major cross-border electricity transmission initiative linking Zambia to the DRC’s mining region.

Signed in Kinshasa on October 6, 2026, the agreement brings together the DRC’s Strategic Investment Fund (FIS-RDC), Enterprise Power DRC (EnPower), Gridworks Development Partners and commodities trading company Trafigura. The project aims to strengthen regional electricity trade and improve power supply to the energy-intensive Copperbelt mining and industrial corridor.

The project involves constructing an approximately 200-kilometre, 330-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line connecting Kalumbila in northwestern Zambia to Kolwezi in the DRC’s Lualaba province. With a thermal capacity of 700 megawatts (MW), the interconnector is expected to enable electricity imports of up to 550 MW into the DRC at competitive prices. The infrastructure is designed to improve transmission reliability through additional substations and redundancy measures, with the potential for future capacity expansion to more than 1 gigawatt.

The project is estimated to cost approximately $300 million and is intended to address persistent electricity shortages affecting the DRC’s mining and industrial operations. By improving access to reliable power, the interconnector could support copper and cobalt production, enable the expansion of mining activities and strengthen industrial development in the Copperbelt. It is also expected to create additional electricity export opportunities for licensed Zambian power producers and improve cross-border energy trading through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

Under the proposed investment structure, FIS-RDC, EnPower and Gridworks intend to provide equity financing, with Gridworks expected to serve as the lead equity investor and majority shareholder. Trafigura will arrange a significant portion of the project's debt financing, while discussions with potential Zambian investors are ongoing. Although the agreement marks an important step towards implementation, it formalises the partners’ investment intentions rather than confirming that all financing has been secured or construction has begun. The project’s next stages will focus on advancing its development and financing arrangements before construction and eventual commissioning.