The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo plan to develop the Pioka-Tombe cross-border hydropower project, with a planned capacity of 6,450 megawatts.

DRC Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity Aimé Sakombi Molendo and his Congolese counterpart, Émile Ousso, signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 26, 2026, covering the development of the site in the Cataractes district of Kongo Central province.

On the DRC side, the project has backing at the highest level of government and has been designated a national priority. Authorities say it aims to harness the Congo River’s potential under a framework of balanced cost and benefit sharing, supporting the two countries’ energy, industrial and social development.

Implementation and preparatory studies

The project was discussed at a Council of Ministers meeting on Jan. 9, 2026. At the time, Sakombi said implementation would require updating existing studies, conducting topographic surveys, and carrying out pre-feasibility and feasibility assessments. The process will also include preparing a detailed preliminary design and establishing the institutional and financing framework.

The minister requested government approval to formally commit to the project’s development and secure the necessary authorizations. These include hiring a firm to update feasibility studies and mobilizing funding for the studies and the structuring of public-private partnerships.

According to Sakombi, the project could help secure electricity supply in Kinshasa, where the deficit exceeds 1,000 MW. It could also support industrial development in Kongo Central and in industrial zones connected to the Inga power network.

The initiative forms part of efforts to optimize the overall development plan for the Congo River and to prepare technically and strategically for the future development of Grand Inga, which could reach an installed capacity of 40 gigawatts.

Ronsard Luabeya