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Lagos-headquartered Royal Power Energy (RPE) is planning to expand out of its home market and into Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as it seeks to exploit opportunities stemming from the rising demand for electricity from mobile phone network providers.

Goma-based renewables developer Nuru has raised $1.5m from Nairobi-headquartered investor E3 Capital, the United Kingdom’s Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) and Agence Française de Développement subsidiary Proparco.

Amea Power executive chairman and founder Hussain Al-Nowais in late February provided a detailed insight into 11 of the Dubai-based developer’s projects under development in African markets.

Democratic Republic of Congo’s huge resource base, and desperate need to cater for one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, are exciting potential investors, encouraged by President Félix Tshisekedi’s claims to be presiding over improved governance. But claims to significant progress are questionable as a controversial presidential election beckons, conflict stalks eastern DRC and criminality dogs efforts to overhaul power and other sectors, write François Misser and Jon Marks.

Electricity theft in South Kivu – where it is especially prevalent – is called dahoulage, derived from the Mashi word kudahula, which means taking fire from a neighbour’s home to light one’s stove. Wires may be connected to state utility Société Nationale d’Électricité (Snel)’s high-voltage cables for distribution between neighbours to connect illegal lines to their homes, reselling them electricity at a flat rate, sometimes from homes converted into illegal electricity supply cabins.

Symbion Power is developing a 60MW biogas-to-power independent power project (IPP) on Lake Kivu in the Goma region. The scheme – which promises a total investment of $300m – will use methane from the Makelele block, which was awarded to Symbion’s local subsidiary Renewable Energy Developments (RED) in January as part of a wider DRC upstream bid round.

A $120m development of three ‘metro-grids’ in Democratic Republic of Congo, including 19MWp of solar PV and 60MWh of battery storage is moving ahead. UK-based consortium leader Gridworks told African Energy it is also eyeing the potential for small hydroelectric power plants, following its recent investment in Nairobi-based Virunga Power, writes Marc Howard.

Ivanhoe Mines has announced that output at its Kamoa-Kakula copper mining complex in Lualaba province saw a 215% year-on-year increase in 2022. The Toronto Stock Exchange-listed company said Kamoa-Kakula would soon become “one of the world’s leading producers” of copper. Hydroelectric power (HEP) forms a cornerstone of the company’s goal of net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions at the mine.

Switzerland-headquartered commodities giant Glencore said in early December it had reached an agreement with Democratic Republic of Congo under which it will pay $180m to cover present and future claims arising from alleged corruption between 2007-18.

Paris-based independent Perenco said on 28 November that it had discovered oil at the Tchnemi-01 well in the Tchibeli North East pre-salt Vandji exploration prospect, on the Perenco-operated PNGF Sud licence.

Perenco’s activities in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been the focus of fresh criticism. A report issued in early November by Investigate Europe, EIF and Disclose alleged that Perenco was  responsible for 167 pollution incidents and huge methane emissions.

The Mutoshi and Etoile copper and cobalt projects have received a funding boost from the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) and a syndicate of other, unnamed banks. Both copper and cobalt are vital inputs for the energy transition and have been designated by the United States, European Union (EU) and other major economies as critical or transition minerals.

Tunisia’s EPPM Group expect to start construction of offshore methane gas facilities and a 30MW gas conversion power plant on the DR Congo lake shore in early 2023. EPPM says it is in talks with lenders for a financial close that will finally allow the much-anticipated project to go ahead.

A 30-year concession has been signed for rail services and logistical support for the 1,290km Lobito corridor, which connects Lobito port to Luau in Angola’s east, close to the DR Congo border. The corridor offers the shortest route for mined copper and cobalt from DRC and Zambia to reach a deep-water port. It also offers increased capacity for the transit of liquids and gases.

Southern Africa leaders have made a joint appeal at COP27 for nearly $20bn from investors to complete electricity transmission interconnectors and fund new renewable energy projects, in part to increase energy capacity in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).