The city of Gbadolite, capital of Nord-Ubangi province, is gradually regaining electricity after a one-year blackout caused by the flooding of the Mobayi-Mbongo hydropower plant on October 23, 2024.
The facility, with an installed capacity of 11.5 MW, has been brought back online, provincial energy minister Didier Dutimo announced on October 26, 2025, in an interview with Top Congo.
Power supply remains limited, however. “Much remains to be done, as parts of the SNEL (National Electricity Company) network vandalized by delinquents still need to be restored to balance the electrical load,” he said without providing further details.
The Mobayi-Mbongo hydropower plant, inaugurated on November 24, 1989, suffered severe damage when floodwaters from the Ubangi River inundated the alternator, control room, and several other components, forcing a complete shutdown.
In the months that followed, SNEL dispatched technical teams from Kinshasa and Inga to attempt repairs, but the work did not allow for an immediate restart, according to local SNEL director Maurice Ewango.
Without power, Gbadolite was plunged into darkness, a situation that severely affected the city’s economic and social activities.
