75
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to host its largest-ever private energy investment in the east after U.S.-based Symbion Power LLC pledged $700 million for a 140-megawatt (MW) methane-to-power plant on the Congolese side of Lake Kivu.
The project—announced on 8 August 2025—will more than double Symbion’s original plan and could significantly boost electricity supply in the conflict-prone North Kivu region. But its future depends entirely on the full implementation of the Washington Accord of 27 June 2025—a ceasefire and troop-withdrawal agreement between the DRC and Rwanda brokered by the United States.
Symbion, headquartered in New York, originally won a competitive tender in January 2023 for the Makelele gas block, with a plan to build a 60 MW plant costing about $300 million. By August 2024, the company had signalled its interest in expanding the project and began discussions with DRC officials about adding up to 150 MW of extra capacity.
The newly announced 140 MW scheme combines the original Makelele concession with an adjacent expansion zone, pushing total investment to $700 million—a 133% increase in both plant size and projected cost.
Unlike earlier methane projects on Lake Kivu—such as ContourGlobal’s 26 MW KivuWatt and Shema Power’s 56 MW Kivu 56 plant—Symbion’s proposal will be the first to include cross-border transmission lines to export surplus electricity to Rwanda. This new element, absent in earlier feasibility studies, reflects the political goals of the Washington Accord, which seeks to use economic cooperation to reinforce peace.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Analysts that the project could qualify for guarantees from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank once monitors confirm that Rwandan forces and M23 rebels have withdrawn from Goma and surrounding territories.
For the DRC, the project is crucial. The national electrification rate is currently stuck at about 19%, and the government’s 2030 target of 32% requires an extra 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity. If completed, Symbion’s plant alone would provide over 5% of that target, while potentially supplying 15% of Rwanda’s peak electricity demand.
Symbion CEO Paul Hinks emphasised that “no shovels move until the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism confirms full withdrawal,” introducing a unique financing condition where disbursements and construction milestones are tied to verified demilitarisation steps.
The project carries heavy symbolism for eastern Congo. The Makelele block was once a flashpoint for clashes between the M23 rebel group and Congolese forces. Today, its methane reserves are being presented as a potential peace dividend—turning a former battlefield into a hub of regional power generation.
Lake Kivu, however, also presents environmental risks. Scientists have long warned that its vast stores of methane and carbon dioxide could erupt catastrophically within the next century if not carefully managed. For now, whether that gas fuels homes in Goma and Kigali—or remains an untapped hazard—will depend more on politics than engineering.
