Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have moved forward with plans for one of Africa’s most ambitious and largest electricity transmission networks, a cross-border interconnector supergrid project designed to export Angola’s surplus hydroelectric power into the energy-starved Congolese mining belt.
Announced following high-level talks in Luanda between Angolan President Joao Lourenco and DRC officials led by Water Resources and Electricity Minister Aime Sakombi Molendo, the project centers on a 1,450km high-voltage transmission line from Malanje in Angola to Fungurume in the DRC’s Copperbelt. The development is positioned as both an industrial enabler for critical minerals processing and a cornerstone of regional energy integration.
Angola-DRC Electricity Interconnector Project: Scope
The development includes the following major transmission components:
- A 1,450km high-voltage transmission line connecting Malanje, Angola to Fungurume, DRC
- A secondary transmission line linking Zaire Province (Angola) to Inga, DRC
- Planned delivery capacity of up to 2,000MW to industrial and residential demand centers in the DRC
- Grid infrastructure designed to improve redundancy, reliability, and regional energy trading capacity across Central and Southern Africa
The Fungurume terminus is particularly important. This is because of its proximity to large-scale copper and cobalt operations that currently face power bottlenecks.
Critical Timing for Central Africa’s Mining Economy
The Angola-DRC interconnector comes at a critical moment for Central Africa’s mining economy. Despite the DRC’s dominance in cobalt and copper production – minerals central to electric vehicles, battery storage, and grid electrification – the country’s mining operations remain constrained by electricity shortages. Many operators in Katanga and Lualaba provinces continue relying on diesel backup systems or costly imports, limiting downstream mineral beneficiation and industrial expansion.
For Angola, the project is source of revenue from surplus generation capacity, particularly from large hydro assets such as the Lauca Hydroelectric Dam, whose output has outpaced domestic grid absorption. Exporting power to neighboring industrial hubs will help monetize excess renewable generation. This is while reinforcing Angola’s ambition to become a regional power exporter.
The project also aligns with wider strategic infrastructure under the Lobito Corridor. This is a Western-backed logistics and mineral transport corridor linking inland mining zones in the DRC and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic coast. Reliable electricity supply is increasingly seen as the missing infrastructure layer needed to maximize Lobito corridor’s industrial value proposition.
Project Cost
The cost of the project is at approximately US$1.5 billion, though officials indicate the final cost will depend on route optimization, technical studies, environmental approvals, and financing structure. The scheme also includes private-sector participation and international financing interest.
US-based Hydro-Link and Swiss-headquartered Mitrelli Group are also linked to development and financing architecture for Angola-DRC transmission infrastructure. Additionally, the project is under review by the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as part of strategic minerals and infrastructure support in Central Africa.
No final financial close has yet been publicly announced.
Angola-DRC Electricity Interconnector Project: Fact Sheet
Location: Angola-DRC cross-border corridor
Primary Route: Malanje to Fungurume
Secondary Route: Zaire Province to Inga
Length: 1,450km (primary line)
Capacity: Up to 2,000MW
Estimated Cost: US$1.5 billion
Status: Announced with studies and structuring underway
Expected Completion: 2029 – subject to approvals and financing
Development Timeline
June 2025 – Hydro-Link and Mitrelli sign cooperation agreements on Angola-DRC transmission development framework
March 2026 – Related transmission concession activity progresses between DRC authorities and infrastructure partners
May 2026 – Angola and DRC formally announce 1,450km interconnection agreement in Luanda
2026 onward – Feasibility studies, environmental approvals, and financing structuring expected
Project Stakeholders and Developers
Project Sponsors
- Government of Angola
- Government of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Public Stakeholders
- Ministry of Energy and Water, Angola
- Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity, DRC
Developers
- Hydro-Link
- Mitrelli Group
Potential Financing Institutions
- US International Development Finance Corporation
Outlook on the Development of Angola-DRC Electricity Interconnector Project
The development of Angola-DRC electricity interconnector project is also with its fair share of risks. These include:
- Environmental and permitting challenges across forested and riverine terrain
- Political coordination between the two countries
- Transmission right-of-way acquisition
- Financing closure amid volatile emerging-market infrastructure conditions
- Security and logistics challenges in sections of the DRC. Cross-border megaprojects in Central Africa have historically faced long delays due to security and logistics challenges.
However, if successfully delivered, the Angola-DRC electricity interconnector project could reshape Central Africa’s industrial energy landscape by connecting hydro-rich Angola to one of the world’s most important mining regions.
Beyond lowering electricity costs for Congolese miners, the project could also accelerate local mineral refining. This will be alongside reducing diesel dependency and strengthening the infrastructure backbone of the Lobito Corridor.
It will also position Angola as a major regional electricity exporter and advance long-discussed ambitions for African power pool integration.
