U.S. company MyHydro says it is close to securing financing for the Kabeya-Kamwanga hydropower project on the Lubi River in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kasai-Oriental province.

The announcement followed a May 14 meeting between a company delegation and provincial Governor Jean-Paul Mbwebwa Kapo. According to the provincial government, cited by the Agence congolaise de presse (ACP), the delegation was led by MyHydro partner Singoma Mwanza and included the deputy director general of China Hydropower Construction Group (HCC), which is expected to build the project’s infrastructure.

Speaking after the meeting, Mwanza said the project was nearing financial close, clearing the way for construction to start in the coming months. A groundbreaking ceremony could take place as early as next quarter, he added, pending final administrative approvals.

No investment amount has yet been disclosed. The project is currently described as having a planned capacity of around 5 megawatts, aimed at improving electricity supply in Mbuji-Mayi and several other localities in Kasai-Oriental.

Revised capacity, delayed rollout

When the project was first announced in 2023, MyHydro said the plant would have a capacity of 4.48 MW and be developed in two phases: an initial 1.2 MW unit expected before the end of September 2024, followed by a second 3.6 MW phase scheduled for March 2025. Those targets were missed.

MyHydro is a joint venture between Symbion Power and Natel Energy focused on low-head hydropower systems. In 2023, the company signed a contract to acquire four turbines from Natel Energy for the first of 33 sites it has identified in the DRC, on the Lubi River.

Through the Kabeya-Kamwanga project, the company aims to promote a model of mini-hydropower plants designed to supply communities with limited access to the national grid. MyHydro has said it plans to deploy at least 150 similar installations across Africa and invest more than $1 billion over the next decade in small-scale hydropower projects.

Ronsard Luabeya