The Democratic Republic of Congo has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with U.S.-based Hydro-Link LLC to construct a 1,150-kilometer transmission line that will import 1.2 gigawatts of electricity from Angola.
The deal, valued at approximately $1.5 billion, was finalized on October 14, 2025, during the DRC-U.S. Economic Forum in Washington, with DRC Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity Aimé Molendo Sakombi and Hydro-Link CEO Paul Hinks signing the agreement, Ecogin Agency reported.
This MoU follows a series of preliminary agreements necessary to advance the project. Hydro-Link initially signed a framework with its partner Mitrelli at the 17th U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Luanda on June 22, 2025, followed by accords with both Angola and the DRC.
The transmission line is expected to be commissioned in 2029, although several steps remain before construction begins, including securing licensing and financing.
Hydro-Link intends to fund roughly 70% of the project through a loan from the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, with additional support from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency for feasibility studies and U.S. Exim Bank export credits.
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According to the DRC Ministry of Mines, the country faces an energy shortfall of approximately 1,500 megawatts for its mining operators. The new transmission line will deliver electricity generated primarily at Angola’s Lauca hydropower plant to the Kolwezi mining zone in Haut-Katanga, where major producers such as Glencore and Ivanhoe Mines operate.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) notes that Angola currently has 1.5 gigawatts of surplus clean hydropower capacity, projected to rise to 3.5 gigawatts by 2027. The Hydro-Link project is the third initiative aimed at transmitting this excess power to Congolese mining centers, alongside efforts by Morocco’s Somagec and a consortium led by Trafigura and ProMarks.
Paul Hinks, CEO of Hydro-Link and founder of New York-based Symbion Power, said, “With the rapid growth of the mining sector, we anticipate a complete transformation of Congo’s energy supply over the next decade.”
Kinshasa and Washington are also exploring a “minerals-for-security” partnership designed to encourage U.S. investment in the DRC. Following the MoU signing, Minister Sakombi commented, “I welcome this partnership and invite American investors to follow suit.”
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Image Credit: Business Insider Africa
