A strategic investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s electricity grid is beginning to yield results. On 10 November 2025, an initial 50 MW of hydroelectric power from turbine 5 of the Inga II power station was transmitted to the Kamoa Copper mining complex as part of a partnership agreement with the Société Nationale d’Électricité (SNEL).
This first delivery is part of the initial phase of a $450 million investment by Ivanhoe Energy DRC (IVEN), Kamoa’s sister company. These funds are intended for the rehabilitation and modernisation of the national grid, in particular through the refurbishment of the Mwadingusha dam and the recommissioning of Inga II turbine 5, to increase its capacity and reliability. The 50 MW of clean electricity will enable the commissioning of the copper smelter, described as the largest and most environmentally friendly in Africa, which is scheduled to start operations this November.
The agreement provides a gradual increase in capacity in the first quarter of 2026, then in the first half of 2027. These stages depend on the completion of grid stabilisation work, including the fitting of electrical resistors, harmonic filters and a static compensator at the Inga and Kolwezi electrical substations, carried out as part of the public-private partnership.
This public-private partnership offers a concrete model for the DRC. While securing its energy supply, Kamoa is helping to strengthen national infrastructure. Ultimately, these improvements could benefit the entire network, serving both local communities and other economic operators..
The success of this project will strengthen Kamoa’s position among the world’s largest copper producers. More broadly, it could demonstrate a viable way to overcome the energy deficit that has long hampered the country’s industrialisation.