The Democratic Republic of Congo’s rural electrification agency has increased the planned capacity of a hydropower project near Kananga.
The Agence nationale de l’électrification et des services énergétiques en milieux rural et périurbain (ANSER) now says the Mbombo plant will have a capacity of 20.08 MW, up from 10 MW announced at its official launch in February 2025.
The revision was formalized on April 3, 2026, when ANSER Director General Cyprien Musimar and Angelique International Limited (AIL) Chairman Ajay Krishna Goyal signed a commercial contract.
The agreement marks a new phase for the project, located on the outskirts of Kananga on the Lulua River. When provincial authorities launched construction on Feb. 15, 2025, capacity was still set at 10 MW, with costs estimated at around $35 million. ANSER is acting as the delegated project owner.
According to ANSER, the revised design calls for a plant with four generating units of about 5.02 MW each. The project also includes worker housing, access roads, and transmission infrastructure to deliver electricity to Kananga.
ANSER said the contract paves the way for negotiations on a financing agreement between the Congolese government and a commercial bank. The deal is expected to cover 70% of costs related to equipment supply, construction, installation and commissioning.
The Mbombo project comes amid renewed energy activity in the province. Construction of the Katende hydropower project, in which Angelique International Limited is also involved, resumed in August 2025.
Boaz Kabeya
