Commodity trader Trafigura has withdrawn from a proposed 2,000 MW electricity transmission project intended to supply surplus Angolan hydropower to copper and cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, according to foreign media reports.
The initiative originated in July 2024 when Trafigura signed a non-binding agreement with engineering firm ProMarks and the Angolan government to conduct feasibility studies for a high-voltage interconnector. According to foreign media reports, the line aimed to monetize Angola's northern hydropower capacity to help alleviate chronic electricity deficits affecting mining assets in the Central African Copperbelt.
The withdrawal highlights the complex financing and risk dynamics associated with large-scale cross-border energy infrastructure in emerging markets, as reliable grid power remains a primary constraint for scaling up copper and cobalt production across Zambia and the DRC.
According to foreign media reports, despite Trafigura's exit, other transmission ventures linking Angola to regional mining centers are progressing. These include Meridia Energy's planned Lauca–Kolwezi line (1,400 MW) and Soyo–Inga–Cabinda line (800 MW), targeted for commercial operation by 2030, as well as a separate $1.5 billion interconnector proposed by U.S.-based HYDRO-LINK aimed at Lualaba and Katanga provinces.
While the delay of this specific 2,000 MW line creates a short-term hurdle for cross-border power sharing, broader efforts to connect Angola's surplus generation to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and Copperbelt miners remain active under revised consortia, according to foreign media reports.
