US Energy Investor HYDRO-LINK and The Government of The Democratic Republic of Congo Sign Major Agreement to Deliver Excess Hydropower from Angola to The DRC Through $1.5 Billion Power Cross-Border Transmission Line
Washington, D.C. – October 14, 2025: Today at the USA-DRC Economic and Investments Forum in Washington, D.C., His H.E. Mr. Aimé Sakombi Molendo, Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Paul Hinks, Chairman and CEO of New York-based energy investor HYDRO-LINK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build a 1,150-kilometer (720 miles), $1.5 billion electricity transmission line between Angola and the DRC.
The mining and industrial sectors of the DRC, a country rich in mineral resources, are often hindered by an irregular and insufficient power supply. The new transmission line, scheduled for completion in 2029, will connect Angola’s hydroelectric sites — which have an energy surplus — to the mining and rare earth zones of southeastern DRC, in the Copperbelt region, a major consumer of electricity.
This memorandum of understanding reflects the renewed interest from the U.S. government and American companies in investing in Africa. HYDRO-LINK Chairman and CEO, Paul Hinks underscored that the line will serve both African and American strategic interests, “HYDRO-LINK is an investment that will deliver 1,200 MW of reliable and affordable electricity to the provinces of Angola and the DRC. It will support the mining sectors, local industries and the population over a vast area. High quality materials from the United States will be incorporated into the HYDRO-LINK project, creating jobs in American manufacturers facilities, as well as several thousand jobs in Angola and the DRC”.
H.E. Mr. Aimé Sakombi Molendo, Minister of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity, of the DRC, stated: “This agreement, which follows the audience granted by His Excellency Mr. Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Republic, to the CEO of Hydro-Link, marks an important step toward ensuring the energy security and economic development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
By leveraging Angola’s energy surplus and investing in cross-border infrastructure, we are responding to the urgent needs of our industrial and mining sectors while laying the groundwork for access to clean and reliable electricity for our citizens.
The Government of the DRC fully supports the transformative HYDRO-LINK project and the strategic partnerships that underpin it — a project that also contributes to regional integration while encouraging the construction of domestic electrical infrastructure currently being implemented by private titleholders, with the aim of reducing the energy deficit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, alongside the Inga 3 program.”
Haim, Taib, Founder and President of Menomadin and Mitrelli Group, a partner and investor in HYDRO-LINK said:
“The partnership with HYDRO-LINK is a strategic move by Mitrelli to help improve the regional economy and it reflects our long-standing commitment to sustainable development in Africa. Beyond enabling trade and industrial growth, we believe infrastructure must serve the people, ensuring that energy access empowers communities, supports local development and creates new opportunities for the millions who live along this vital route through Angola and the DRC.”
HYDRO-LINK recently signed a similar agreement with the Government of Angola and an investment agreement with Swiss-based Mitrelli Group, which has joined as a major investor and partner, bringing decades of experience in Angola to the management team and to the project., An agreement has also been signed with Sargent & Lundy, a Chicago based global leader in engineering and design for the power industry. They will provide Owners Engineer and Independent Engineering services to HYDRO-LINK.
