Zambia’s national electricity utility, ZESCO, and Africa-focused developer Anzana Electric Group have finalised a $300 million joint venture to expand electricity access along the Zambian stretch of the strategic Lobito Corridor. The project aims to provide first-time grid connections to nearly two million people by 2030, a significant milestone in Zambia’s ambition for universal electricity access.
The initiative involves rehabilitating and expanding Zambia’s transmission and distribution infrastructure and adding new generation capacity, including run-of-river hydropower, to ensure supply reliability. The project will launch with a pilot phase in the North-Western Province in 2026, adding 8 MW of capacity. This $50 million pilot, backed by Anzana and development partners, is designed as a fast start ahead of corridor-wide rollout.
ZESCO Managing Director Justin Loongo described the partnership as transformative not only for energy but for regional integration, job creation, and powering economic growth along the Lobito Corridor. Anzana CEO Brian Kelly highlighted the corridor model as a blueprint for regional trade and development, where reliable electricity enables industrial activity, services, and livelihoods.
Stretching from Angola’s Atlantic coast through the Democratic Republic of Congo into Zambia, the Lobito Corridor is being developed as a major economic artery for Southern and Central Africa, linking mineral-rich provinces to export markets. The corridor’s development is critical for unlocking economic potential, especially in North-Western Zambia, where copper and cobalt reserves remain underutilised due to limited power access.
The $300 million financing mix blends commercial and concessional capital, involving private American investors and British International Investment’s Gridworks Development Partners. This structure aims to spread risk while ensuring tariffs remain affordable.
ZESCO, which generates approximately 3000 MW largely from hydropower and operates an 11,000 kilometre transmission network linked to the Southern African Power Pool, continues to export electricity but faces domestic electrification challenges.
In parallel, Zambia has broken ground on the 100 MW Chipata West solar project, set to supply power to rural communities within 12 months with support from partners like China Machinery Engineering Corp. This follows the commissioning of the 100 MW Chisama solar farm, the country’s largest to date. Over ten other solar projects are under development as Zambia aims for 1 GW of utility-scale solar capacity, bolstering renewable energy alongside rural electrification efforts.
Together, these projects reflect Zambia’s commitment to expanding access to reliable, clean energy, powering economic transformation, and bridging the urban-rural electricity divide.
