Mayer Brown advises EnPower on the landmark Kalumbila–Kolwezi DRC–Zambia power interconnector.

Paris – Mayer Brown advised Enterprise Power DRC SARL (“EnPower”), the original developer of the Kalumbila–Kolwezi Interconnector Project (“KKIP”), on the transaction bringing together EnPower, Gridworks Development Partners (“Gridworks”), the Strategic Investment Fund of the DRC (“FIS-RDC”) and Trafigura to advance the development, financing and construction of the landmark 200km high-voltage transmission line connecting Zambia’s grid to the Copperbelt mining region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).KKIP will be the first privately developed and financed cross-border transmission project of its kind on the African continent. The line will have a thermal capacity of 700MW, enabling up to 550MW of competitively priced electricity to be imported into the DRC’s Copperbelt, a region facing a structural power deficit of more than 1GW currently met largely by costly diesel generation. With an estimated construction cost of US$300 million, the project has reached the final stage of development and will strengthen the DRC’s connection to the Southern African Power Pool. In particular, KKIP is expected to unlock new mining and refining capacity in the Copperbelt, create export opportunities for Zambian power producers and support broader regional power trading, while also providing capacity to serve the wider population in both countries.

Olivier Mélédo, Global Co-Head of Mayer Brown’s Africa Practice and a member of the Firm’s Global Energy team, said:

“We are delighted to have supported EnPower on this landmark project. KKIP is the first privately developed and financed cross-border transmission project of its kind in Africa and demonstrates how private capital, working alongside sovereign investors and commodity partners, can deliver the regional interconnection infrastructure the continent needs. By bringing reliable, competitively priced power to the DRC’s Copperbelt and opening new export routes for Zambian producers, the project will support significant industrial and economic development on both sides of the border. We look forward to continuing to support EnPower as the project moves towards execution phase.”

The Mayer Brown team was led by Olivier Mélédo in Paris, with support from partners Ross Montgomery (London), Fiona Gulliford (Singapore), counsel Avi Cohen (London) and associates Stéphane Joly, Louise Libaud and Charles Mercuzot (Paris).