The Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has signed with SOMAGEC the concession for two 400 kV power transmission line projects that will connect Angola to its neighboring country. The agreement was signed by the Congolese minister.
The initiatives include the Soyo–Inga–Cabinda and Laúca–Kolwezi lines, considered two of the most ambitious energy interconnection projects in Southern Africa. Financing was announced after the completion of feasibility studies, licensing, and financial structuring.
The first project will link the Angolan city of Soyo to the province of Cabinda, passing through Matadi and Inga in the DRC. The line will be built entirely with private investment and aims to strengthen Angola’s energy exports while also ensuring Cabinda’s supply through the national grid — something unprecedented until now.
The second project, spanning more than 1,200 kilometers, will connect the Laúca Dam hydroelectric plant to the mining hub of Kolwezi, passing through Saurimo and Luau. The line is expected to provide reliable electricity to the Congolese industrial sector and electrify eastern Angola, contributing to the development of the Lundas region and boosting the Lobito Corridor.
The studies and financial structuring were secured by SOMAGEC through its subsidiary Meridia Energy, in partnership with European, American, and African institutional investors. The company specializes in developing transnational electricity transmission infrastructure with fully private financing.
The projects also have the support of RNT – Rede Nacional de Transporte de Electricidade and Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water of Angola. Their development was formalized in January 2025 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the presence of minister João Baptista Borges in Luanda.
According to the project promoters, the new interconnections are expected to have a direct impact on Angola’s balance of payments, the fiscal stability of the electricity sector, GDP growth in both countries, job creation, and the promotion of new economic zones supported by reliable and clean energy.
Source: Líder Magazine
