NEWS

• Zambia approved a $270 million power line to the DRC to ease electricity shortages and boost cross-border trade.
• The 200km Kalumbila-Kolwezi line will support mining operations and connect to the DRC’s underused hydropower.
• The project forms part of Zambia’s regional energy push, alongside the $292 million Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya corridor.

Zambia has approved the construction of a 200-kilometre power line to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to ease pressure on its strained electricity system and support regional trade.

The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) approved the Kalumbila-Kolwezi Interconnector Project (KKIP), which will cost $270 million (about ZMW7.1 billion).

The project will connect Zambia’s power grid to the DRC. The line will run from Kalumbila District to Kolwezi in southern DRC.

The line will link to a substation at the Sentinel copper mine. Canadian firm First Quantum Minerals operates the mine. The mine plays a key role in Zambia’s mining sector and economy.

Low rainfall has weakened Zambia’s hydropower generation. In 2023, the government urged mining companies to cut their electricity use.

The KKIP will stabilise the national grid and expand access to new sources of electricity. Zambia plans to draw power from the DRC’s untapped hydropower potential.

Enterprise Power DRC leads the project’s implementation. The company plans to manage steady, cross-border electricity flows with support from utilities in both countries.

Zambia wants to strengthen regional power links. The KKIP forms part of a broader plan to improve energy trade in Southern and Eastern Africa.

On April 22, Zambia launched the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya (ZTK) corridor, connecting power grids across the three countries.

The ZTK project will cost $292 million (about ZMW7.7 billion). The World Bank, European Union, and United Kingdom provided funding.

Project partners aim to complete the corridor by 2027. The project will create an integrated regional electricity market and improve supply.

These projects address Zambia’s climate-related energy risks. Frequent droughts have made hydropower unreliable.

Zambia hopes to attract private investment into energy infrastructure. Officials believe cross-border projects will help build investor confidence.

The KKIP will also support the mining sector, which relies on steady power. First Quantum’s Sentinel mine depends on a stable electricity supply.

The project will allow Zambia to import and export electricity more efficiently. Officials say it could reduce blackouts and ease demand on the local grid.

The Ministry of Energy has not yet revealed the financing model for the KKIP. Government officials are still negotiating with partners and investors.

They plan to begin construction in the coming months. Stakeholders must first finalise commercial and technical agreements.

Zambia wants to build a reliable, climate-resilient energy network. The KKIP and ZTK projects reflect that goal.