U.S. based Hydro-Link is leading a $1.5 billion project to build a 1,150 kilometer electricity transmission line connecting Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company announced the project at the 17th U.S. Africa Business Summit, hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa, currently underway in Luanda, Angola.

While Hydro-Link remains relatively unknown, its Chief Executive Officer, Paul Hinks, has more than four decades of global experience in developing, financing, and operating power infrastructure. To advance the project, the company is partnering with the Swiss-headquartered Mitrelli Group.

In a joint statement released on June 23, the two firms announced they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the first of three agreements considered crucial for bringing the project to fruition. A second MoU with the Angolan government was expected to be signed on June 24. Talks are also ongoing with Congolese authorities, according to the Financial Post.

Strong U.S. Footprint

Mitrelli, which has operated in Angola for decades, will serve as both an investor and a strategic partner. The group will provide "end-to-end expertise, from project development and financing to on-the-ground execution," the statement said.

To cover approximately 70% of the project’s cost, Hydro-Link is seeking funding from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The firm is also seeking support from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency for feasibility studies, and additional backing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

This extensive American involvement underpins what Hydro-Link describes as the project’s "strong U.S. footprint." The company plans to source major components from U.S. manufacturers. This is a departure from the industry norm of procuring equipment elsewhere for African infrastructure projects. To that end, it has already signed an MoU with sister company Sargent & Lundy, an energy engineering firm that will serve as owner’s engineer and independent consultant.

Powering the Mining Sector

The line is expected to be operational by 2029, delivering up to 1.2 gigawatts of electricity from Angola’s Lauca hydropower plant and other sources. The energy will supply the Kolwezi mining region in the DRC, targeting companies such as Glencore and Ivanhoe Mines, and potentially new U.S. entrants under a "minerals-for-security" agreement currently under negotiation between Kinshasa and Washington.

Hydro-Link’s initiative marks the third Angola-DRC interconnection project, alongside ventures led by Moroccan group Somagec and a Trafigura-ProMarks consortium. All aim to export Angola’s surplus power to the DRC.

According to the African Development Bank, Angola currently has 1.5 gigawatts of unused clean hydropower capacity, a figure expected to rise to 3.5 gigawatts by 2027. Meanwhile, the DRC’s persistent energy shortages continue to stall the development of key mining projects.

This article was initially published in French by Pierre Mukoko & Ronsard Luabeya

Edited in English by Mouka Mezonlin