Katamba Mining has filed an application with the Electricity Sector Regulation Authority (ARE) for a production concession for the third phase of the Mpiana-Mwanga hydroelectric plant. The company, 70% owned by China's Zijin Mining and 30% by the DRC Mining company Cominière, aims for a planned capacity of 108 MW for the plant located in the Manono territory.

The move follows Katamba Mining's April launch of a tender to hire a subcontractor to build and operate a crushing plant. This facility is intended to produce the sand and gravel needed for the construction of Mpiana-Mwanga III, which is situated more than 90 kilometers northeast of Manono.

With the addition of the projected 108 MW from the third phase, the Mpiana-Mwanga complex would reach a total capacity of 148 MW. The rehabilitation of the first two phases, completed in 2024 at a cost of $80 million, had already boosted the plant’s capacity to 40 MW, a 30% increase from its original output. These upgrades restored installations that were 97 years old and had been out of service since 1998.

The primary goal of these investments is to power the Manono lithium mining project, considered one of the world's largest high-grade lithium deposits. However, Katamba's distribution concession application and statements from Zijin Mining Vice President James Wang confirm that the electricity generated will also supply local communities and key infrastructure. This includes the city and territory of Manono, the village of Kanuka (Tanganyika), the territory of Malemba Nkulu (Haut-Lomami), and the Manono airfield.

According to its 2024 annual report, Zijin Mining, which holds a mining permit for the northeastern zone of the Manono deposit, has identified approximately 2.62 million tonnes of lithium oxide at an average grade of 1.5% during preliminary exploration. This is equivalent to 6.47 million tonnes of lithium carbonate. The company plans to begin production in the first quarter of 2026.

Timothée Manoke (Intern)