The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) said on 22 September that it had signed an agreement with Anzana Electric Group to fund a feasibility study of power infrastructure along the Lobito Corridor. The study covers Lualaba Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo and north-western Zambia. USTDA says the area includes more than three million people and the study aims to improve power reliability for mines and nearby communities.

The work will assess rehabilitation of existing hydropower assets, new hydropower generation options and expansion of electricity-distribution infrastructure. These are alternatives for study, not approved or financed construction projects. The announcement does not say that new plants or networks are under construction. The study will also identify suitable U.S. sources of supply and develop a structure intended to help attract financing for implementation.

The economic objective extends beyond mineral production to reliable electricity for nearby settlements and businesses. USTDA says the project is intended to support copper and cobalt mines, bring new connections to homes and businesses, and help mining companies reduce reliance on costly diesel generation. These are expected benefits, not completed connections or energy already delivered. The release gives no planned capacity, cost or construction schedule.

The agency says mining consumes most of the electricity available in the DRC and Zambia, leaving households and local businesses underserved. That creates a planning challenge: production investment and community access need to be considered within one regional system. Adding generation alone does not determine where electricity will flow; distribution networks also need development. The feasibility work’s joint assessment of generation, grids, demand and finance will therefore matter.

The agreement does not approve an implementation project; it starts a preparation stage involving public and private partners. USTDA said a request for proposals would be published and that its funded programmes are carried out by U.S. companies. Financing structures and procurement options can be assessed after the study. The fact that a feasibility study is intended to attract investment does not mean a construction budget is secured.

The announcement is best read as preparation funding and planning for the power component of the Lobito Corridor. The intended area spans Lualaba in the DRC and north-western Zambia, considering mining demand and local users together. The only new transaction confirmed is the feasibility-study agreement. Without a later investment decision, financing or works contract, new capacity, completed connections or an operating date cannot be reported as achieved.