IAE: DRC Targets 167,000 MW as New Power Deal with South Africa Takes Shape
)
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity Aimé Sakombi Molendo will meet his South African counterpart Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to renew bilateral instruments and sign a new electricity supply agreement aimed at multiplying the capacity of the Grand Inga Hydropower Project.
The planned agreement marks a major step in advancing Grand Inga, a project long viewed as central to regional energy integration. Backed by fresh funding and investor outreach, the initiative aligns with Kinsasha’s push to unlock vast hydropower resources and convert them into reliable, large-scale electricity supply.
Scaling Hydro Capacity to Match Potential
Speaking during the Invest in African Energy forum in Paris on April 22, Minister Molendo stated that the DRC’s hydropower potential has now been mapped at 167,000 MW across more than 350 sites nationwide, placing the country among the world’s most resource rich. He noted, however, that only one in five Congolese citizens currently has access to electricity.
“We want to transform this potential into effective capacity and into supply,” he said, outlining a strategy backed by $40 million in public funding and $17 million from private partners. He added that $250 million is being mobilized to advance flagship projects, with an open call for international investors.
Alongside Grand Inga, the government is prioritizing large-scale developments, such as the 6,450 MW Pioka-Tombe project. These efforts are designed to rapidly expand generation capacity and reduce reliance on underperforming legacy infrastructure.
Mining Demand Drives Urgency
The push for large-scale hydropower is closely tied to surging demand from the mining sector, which Minister Molendo described as both energy-intensive and economically critical. The sector accounts for roughly 25% of GDP and 95% of export revenues.
Currently, the industry faces an estimated 3,000 MW power deficit, forcing companies to operate below capacity or seek costly alternative energy sources. Addressing this gap has become a central pillar of the government’s energy strategy.
“The strategy is simple, we need to meet this demand with high-scale projects,” Minister Molendo said, emphasizing that expanding generation through projects like Grand Inga will be key to sustaining industrial growth and unlocking further value from the country’s mineral resources.