**Categories:** News, Energy **Tags:** Zambia, DRC, electricity interconnection, Copperbelt, Trafigura **Excerpt:** A partnership between the Congolese strategic investment fund, EnPower, Trafigura and Gridworks is preparing a 200-kilometre line between Kalumbila and Kolwezi. The project, valued at $300 million, could import up to 550 MW into the Congolese Copperbelt and strengthen regional electricity trade. **Slug:** interconnexion-zambie-rdc-electricite-copperbelt-300-millions **Image alt:** A high-voltage transmission line crossing the mining Copperbelt between Zambia and the DRC.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia are moving towards the construction of a new electricity interconnection to supply the Copperbelt. The DRC's Strategic Investment Fund, Enterprise Power DRC, Trafigura and Gridworks have signed a framework agreement to finance, build and operate a high-voltage line of approximately 200 kilometres between Kalumbila in Zambia and Kolwezi in southeastern Congo.
The construction cost is estimated at $300 million. The line would have a thermal capacity of 700 megawatts and could deliver up to 550 MW of electricity to the Congolese mining region. Its design would allow future expansion to more than one gigawatt. These announced capacities describe the project's technical potential; actual electricity deliveries will depend on purchase contracts, available generation and the capacity of the networks on both sides of the border.
Energy demand driven by copper
The Copperbelt is home to major copper and cobalt extraction and processing activities. Mines, processing plants and industrial projects need substantial, reliable electricity supplies. Shortages or interruptions can constrain production, increase costs and delay investment.
An interconnection with Zambia could diversify supply sources and open up access to new regional capacity. For the DRC, the challenge is to secure volumes at competitive prices and reduce dependence on an electricity system under pressure. For Zambia, the project could offer authorised electricity producers a new export route and support investment in generation.
The connection would also strengthen the DRC's participation in the Southern African Power Pool, the regional market connecting national networks and facilitating cross-border trade. Interconnections can improve security of supply when countries have different demand and generation profiles. Their effectiveness nevertheless depends on compatible market rules, transmission capacity and operating agreements.
A financing structure still to be finalised
The partners have confirmed their intention to invest equity, while Gridworks is expected to act as the lead investor and majority shareholder. Trafigura has committed to arranging a substantial share of the debt financing. EnPower, a Congolese electricity trading company, is the project developer. The DRC's strategic fund sees this as its first infrastructure investment since its creation in 2025.
The framework agreement represents progress in structuring the project, but final financial terms, supply contracts and operating arrangements still need to be specified. Although the necessary concessions, licences and authorisations are reportedly in place, full financing and the start of construction remain milestones to monitor. The final cost may change with equipment prices, connection works and construction requirements.
Risk allocation will be decisive. Lenders will examine the reliability of revenues, buyers' commitments and available guarantees. The authorities will need to ensure that contracts protect consumers and prevent construction costs from being passed through to tariffs without oversight. Arrangements for Zambian producers to access the line and purchasing conditions on the Congolese side will need to be transparent.
Infrastructure that could support industrialisation
Additional electricity could support the expansion of mines as well as other Copperbelt activities. To have a broader development impact, the project will need to enable local businesses, public services and new investors to access stable energy. Benefits will also depend on strengthening distribution networks within the DRC beyond the line's delivery point.
Communities along the route must be included in project preparation. Acquiring rights of way, safety, maintenance and local consultation are among the requirements for developing a transmission line. Environmental and social studies must determine the impacts and the necessary compensation or mitigation measures.
The construction timetable, electricity contracts, final financing and capacity actually made available will be the main indicators of progress. The Kalumbila–Kolwezi line could help address a major constraint on the Congolese mining sector and deepen regional energy integration. Its success will depend on its ability to provide affordable, reliable and accessible energy beyond the largest industrial buyers.