The Democratic Republic of Congo is seeking $12 billion investment over the next five years to address electricity shortages that are constraining its mining industry. The Congo government wants to attract financing from the World Bank .

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EP Shangahi 2026

Teddy Muba Lwamba, chief executive officer of state-owned electricity company Société Nationale d’Électricité (SNEL), said the investment portfolio covers power generation, transmission and distribution projects beyond the development of the country’s Inga hydroelectric complex.

Congo’s mining companies require about 5800 MW, but receive less than half of that from SNEL. SNEL supplements its supply with 375 MW of imported electricity and about 400 MW from diesel and solar power.

The shortfall has forced mining companies to rely on on-site generators to keep their operations going. Higher fuel costs resulting from the US-Iran conflict have added to operating expenses.

The $12 billion investment would include development of the next phase of the Inga hydropower complex, which could be theoretically increased to generate over 40 GW. The Congo government says that it has identified 3350 hydropower sites with a combined potential capacity of 167 GW.