The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is set to strengthen its electricity links with Southern Africa after the Strategic Investment Fund of the DRC (FIS-RDC), Enterprise Power DRC SARL (EnPower), Trafigura and Gridworks Development Partners signed an agreement to jointly finance, build and operate a 200-kilometre high-voltage power line linking Zambia and the DRC.
The Strategic Framework Agreement covers the Kalumbila–Kolwezi Interconnector Project (KKIP), which will connect Kalumbila in Zambia with Kolwezi in the DRC’s mineral-rich Copperbelt region.
The project, estimated to cost $300 million to construct, is at the final stage of development, with all required concessions, licences and authorisations secured.
KKIP is expected to strengthen the DRC’s connection to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), the regional electricity market linking national power grids and enabling countries to trade electricity across borders.
The transmission line will have a thermal capacity of 700 megawatts, allowing up to 550MW of competitively priced electricity to be imported into the DRC’s Copperbelt mining region. Its design will also allow capacity to be increased to more than 1,000MW in the future.
For the DRC, the project is expected to help address a structural energy deficit of more than 1GW while providing a new source of reliable and affordable electricity for mining and industrial operations.
It could also enable the development of mining and refining projects that have been delayed because of inadequate and costly baseload power. Increased mining and refining output is expected to generate higher fiscal revenues while supporting local businesses, jobs and wider economic diversification.
Emile Osumba, CEO of FIS-RDC, said the project represented the fund’s first investment since its creation in October 2025.
“KKIP is the Fund’s inaugural transaction, and it reflects precisely the mandate entrusted to us by the Government. By helping close the Copperbelt’s power deficit, the project will unlock industrial growth, skilled jobs and fiscal revenue for the DRC. By backing a project led by a private Congolese developer, FIS-RDC is demonstrating that sovereign capital can act as a catalyst for private investment rather than a substitute for it. And by co-investing alongside credible and experienced partners such as Gridworks, we are building the track record that will allow the Fund to mobilise further capital for the country’s strategic infrastructure.”
The project is also expected to create new opportunities for Zambia’s electricity producers by providing export capacity and transmission opportunities, while supporting the development of additional generation capacity.
Marc Orphanides, Managing Director of EnPower, said the agreement marked a significant step towards delivering the transmission project.
“This agreement is an important milestone towards executing this strategic transmission infrastructure, which will add significant capacity to meet the ever-growing power demand of the DRC mining industry. We are grateful to the authorities, stakeholders and communities in the DRC and Zambia, as well as the International Finance Corporation, for their support to KKIP, which will be the first privately developed and financed cross-border transmission infrastructure on the African continent.”
FIS-RDC, EnPower and Gridworks have confirmed plans to invest equity in the project, with Gridworks serving as lead equity investor and majority shareholder. The parties are also discussing potential participation by Zambian entities.
Trafigura has agreed to arrange a significant share of the project’s debt financing. EnPower is the project developer, a licensed Congolese power trader and a member of SAPP, while Gridworks is a specialist transmission and distribution developer owned and funded by British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution.
Gonzalo De Olazaval, Global Head of Metals and Minerals at Trafigura, said the company viewed reliable electricity as essential to Africa’s industrial development.
“Trafigura is proud to support this landmark power project in the DRC, part of our broader power strategy in Africa. Reliable, competitively priced power is a critical enabler of economic growth across the continent, and Trafigura is well placed to bring together the investment, infrastructure and partnerships needed to make these projects a reality. KKIP has the potential to unlock industrial growth in the DRC and Zambia, while also supporting job creation and local communities in both countries.”
Chris Flavin, CEO of Gridworks, said the project would contribute to regional integration and create a foundation for additional cross-border electricity investments.
“Gridworks is proud to be the lead equity investor in KKIP. This is an important regional integration project. Zambia and the DRC both stand to benefit from closer interconnection, and this project will give the Copperbelt access to reliable, competitively priced power and lay the foundation for further cross-border transmission investment across Southern Africa. While the project is anchored by mining offtake, there is capacity on the line to serve the wider population too. Connecting regional power markets and supporting efficient energy trading is key to sustained economic growth in the region. We look forward to working alongside our partners to deliver this important infrastructure.”
The parties said KKIP would deepen cooperation between Zambia and the DRC while creating a platform for long-term investment in energy infrastructure. Discussions are already under way with Zambian entities on potential co-investment, as the project moves towards implementation.
