Power supplies in the city of Mbuji-Mayi could stabilise in the coming days after a blackout lasting more than three weeks. A new transformer is expected to arrive shortly to replace faulty equipment that caused major power outages.

The 300,000-dollar transformer has already been ordered and is due to arrive at the port of Matadi by Dec. 12, provincial governor Jean-Paul Mbwebwa Kapo said during a programme broadcast on Dec. 3 by state broadcaster RTNC. He said electricity would be restored as soon as possible.

Asked about the issue at the Makutano Forum on Nov. 26, SNEL director-general Teddy Lwamba reiterated that the new transformer would reach Mbuji-Mayi by Dec. 14.

Lwamba said the transformer failure cut the city off from the 3 MW supplied by the Tubi-Tubidi hydropower plant under a power purchase agreement between SNEL and mining company SACIM, which owns the facility. As a result, Mbuji-Mayi is currently running on an 800 kVA thermal plant, far below demand. He added that efforts are under way to raise capacity to 1,300 kVA.

The power shortage has severely disrupted drinking-water supply. To tackle these underlying problems, the head of the water utility REGIDESO, David Tshilumba Mutombo, announced plans to build a solar power plant.

“We have worked for the last three years with German cooperation to secure funding for a 15-megawatt solar plant,” Mutombo said. “The detailed design studies are complete. We hope to begin construction in January so Mbuji-Mayi can become energy independent and ensure continuous water service.”

Boaz Kabeya