Luanda, July 8, 2026 (Lusa) — The Angolan president has awarded Somagec a 30-year concession for the electricity transmission system used to export power from Angola to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a decree reviewed by Lusa.
The concession for the system known as the “Northern Corridor,” which will also strengthen the power supply to Cabinda Province, was approved by Presidential Decree No. 115/26 of July 2 and awarded to Somagec Energy Holding, Limited (SEHL), a company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which will establish a subsidiary under Angolan law.
The concession is awarded under a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) arrangement, meaning that the concessionaire assumes full technical, financial, operational, environmental, and social responsibilities, with no direct financial burden on the Angolan government.
The concession covers the financing, construction, ownership, operation, maintenance, and subsequent transfer to the Angolan government of the portion located within Angola.
The decree does not mention the financial terms or considerations of the concession.
The “Northern Corridor” includes a 400-kilovolt (kV) double-circuit line along the Soyo–Matadi–Inga cross-border axis, with a length of approximately 181 kilometers and an installed capacity of up to 800 megawatts (MW).
It also includes a 220-kilovolt (kV) line between Matadi and Cabinda, approximately 182 kilometers long with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts (MW), and a 60-kV line between Cabinda and Moanda, approximately 35 kilometers long, in addition to the respective substations and supporting infrastructure.
According to the decree, the initiative is part of the government’s strategy to strengthen national energy security, expand the transmission grid to Cabinda Province, and position the country as a strategic energy supplier in the regional markets of Southern Africa (SAPP) and Central Africa (PEAC).
The decree also approves the draft Power Supply Agreement (PSA) to be entered into between the National Electricity Transmission Network (RNT-E.P.) and Somagec, aimed at ensuring the sale of electricity to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) market.
Technical, economic, environmental, and legal oversight rests with the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Regulatory Institute for Electricity, Water Supply, and Wastewater Sanitation Services (IRSEA).
The contract’s effectiveness is contingent upon final approval of the feasibility studies, confirmation of the financing structure by the concessionaire, obtaining the applicable licenses, and technical validation of the route by RNT-E.P.
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