Zambia, DRC seal fresh deals for new hydropower plant

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed a series of agreements on Tuesday to revive plans for a hydropower plant on the Luapula River and a joint electricity inter-connector system.

Making the announcement in the capital Lusaka, Zambia's state electricity company Zesco said the deals had not been implemented when they were initially signed in 2015 for the construction of the facility to be located on the two countries' mutual border for 1,188 megawatts (MW) of energy output.

"The agreements would jointly be executed by Zesco and the DRC's power utility SNEL," said the Zambian firm, adding that the country's Energy Minister Peter Kapala signed two memoranda of understanding -- between the two governments and the other between the countries' electricity companies -- at a joint ministerial ceremony in Lusaka.

Olivier Mwenze Mukaleng, the DRC's minister of hydraulic resources and electricity, signed the agreements on behalf of his country.

They are expected to help the two countries manage growing demand for electricity as new factories are built and especially amid ambitions to produce batteries for electric vehicles.

Zambia and the DRC, which are Africa's top two copper producers, have launched several bilateral undertakings in recent years to strengthen economic cooperation, including an April 30 accord signed by their presidents for the manufacture of the power cells.