USTDA Selects Anzana Electric For Power Study Along Africa’s Lobito Corridor

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) on Tuesday signed an agreement with Anzana Electric Group Limited to fund a feasibility study aimed at expanding hydropower generation and upgrading electricity distribution networks in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lualaba province and Zambia’s North-Western province.

The project is expected to improve power reliability for copper and cobalt mining operations and more than three million residents in the region, USTDA said.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York.

“Reliable power allows mines to operate, businesses to profit, and families to thrive,” USTDA Deputy Director Thomas R. Hardy said.

The Lobito Corridor is a strategic logistics route linking mineral-producing areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Atlantic Ocean through the port of Lobito in Angola. It is intended to facilitate the transport of copper, cobalt and other critical minerals to international markets.

USTDA’s feasibility study will assess the rehabilitation of existing hydropower assets, the development of new hydropower generation and the expansion of electricity distribution infrastructure to supply mining operations and surrounding communities, the agency said.

The study will also identify potential U.S. suppliers and financing structures for the project, creating opportunities for U.S. equipment and engineering services in electricity distribution and hydropower generation, USTDA said.

Reliable electricity remains a challenge in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, where mining operations account for a large share of available power, leaving households and businesses with limited access, according to USTDA.

The project is expected to connect more than 500,000 homes and businesses and help mining companies along the Lobito Corridor reduce their reliance on diesel generators, the agency said.

The USTDA-funded study also supports the objectives of a strategic partnership agreement signed by the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2025, the agency said.

“The countries along the Lobito Corridor are uniquely positioned to create long-term economic value from their critical minerals. Realizing that ambition depends on reliable electricity, which underpins industrialization, drives local value addition, creates jobs and strengthens economies,” Anzana Electric Group Chief Executive Brian Kelly said.

USTDA said its support for Anzana complements other agency-backed projects along the Lobito Corridor involving power generation, digital connectivity, port modernization and critical minerals extraction and processing.