Trafigura has walked away from a proposed 2,000-megawatt transmission line that would have carried surplus hydropower from Angola to copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The initiative is one of at least three privately backed transmission projects worth billions of dollars aimed at supplying electricity from Angola, which has a large surplus of stranded hydropower, to critical minerals operations facing power shortages in the two neighbouring countries.
Trafigura signed in July 2024 a non-binding agreement with engineering firm ProMarks and the Angolan government to conduct feasibility studies for the line.
“Trafigura has abandoned the project,” said one industry source.
A second source in the Angolan government confirmed Trafigura’s withdrawal, saying the project remains in the negotiation phase with “some changes having been made regarding the consortium members interested in implementing the contract”.
The energy and water ministry did not immediately respond to questions and it was unclear if the government intends pursuing the project.
Asked if they still supported the project, Trafigura, which is part of the Lobito Corridor Railway consortium shipping critical minerals from the DRC to western markets, replied: “No comment”.
ProMarks did not respond to requests for comment.
OTHER TRANSMISSION PROJECTS TO FILL GAP
Two other transmission lines being developed by Meridia Energy, a joint venture between Dubai-based Averi Finance and Morocco’s Somagec, are moving ahead and could help fill the gap.
The project will connect Angola’s national grid to Kolwezi, a strategic hub for DRC’s copper and cobalt production, while linking Angola to the Southern African Power Pool and reinforcing the Lobito Corridor, officials said.
It will also strengthen the electricity grid in Angola’s oil heartland, Cabinda province, and connect Soyo city in the north to the DRC.
The project includes the $450 million Soyo-Inga-Cabinda line with a capacity of up to 800 MW, and the $1.25 billion Lauca-Kolwezi link with capacity of up to 1,400 MW.
“We are targeting commercial operation of both lines by 2030,” Joao Alvares, chief investment officer at Averi, told Reuters.
Separately, U.S.-based HYDRO-LINK plans to build an interconnector between Angola and the DRC, aiming to deliver reliable, low-cost electricity primarily to the Lualaba and Katanga mining provinces.
The $1.5 billion project would span about 1,200 kilometres (746 miles) and include five substations, with construction expected to take about two and a half years.
