The MCDF grant is to support project preparation activities related to the Luapula Hydropower Project, which was identified as a priority project in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Plan, as well as in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa priority list. The objective of the underlying investment is to support and strengthen generation and transmission capacity to balance demand in the Zambian Copperbelt region and the DRC’s Katanga Mining, thereby contributing to regional integration and socio-economic development Zambia, the DRC, and interconnected regions in the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and SAPP.

The MCDF grant will finance technical, economic, and financial feasibility studies, as well as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Luapula Hydropower Project’s three priority hydropower sites and their associated transmission corridors.

The underlying investment has high connectivity and regional integration content. The MCDF grant will support the development of high-quality feasibility studies and ESIA in line with International Financial Institution standards, which will contribute to the reliability and security of supply in regional electricity markets.