Angola, DR Congo Advance Plans for Major Cross-Border Power Interconnection

Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed to push forward one of Africa’s largest planned electricity interconnection projects, aimed at strengthening regional power supply and supporting industrial demand.

The announcement was made in Luanda by DRC Minister of Water Resources and Electricity Molendo Sakombi after a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço.

The project involves construction of a high-voltage transmission line linking Malanje in Angola to Fungurume in the DRC, covering an estimated 1,450 kilometres.

A second line is also planned between Angola’s Zaire province and Inga in the DRC, with the aim of enabling electricity transfers of up to 2,000 megawatts into the Congolese power system.

Sakombi said the infrastructure is intended to address immediate electricity shortages in the DRC while longer-term generation projects, including the Inga hydroelectric scheme, continue to develop.

He said the project is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars and will require detailed technical and financial studies before construction begins.

The DRC, with a population of around 100 million people, continues to face significant electricity access gaps despite its vast hydropower potential, particularly from the Inga site on the Congo River.

The proposed interconnection is expected to support households, industrial users and mining operations across the region, especially in resource-rich areas of southeastern DRC.

Officials from both countries said the project is expected to deepen energy cooperation, improve supply security and strengthen broader economic ties between Angola and the DRC.

Angola and the DRC have increased engagement in recent years on energy infrastructure, mining corridors and cross-border trade, with electricity emerging as a key area of collaboration.