Egyptian Electric Company, Elsewedy Electric, has been given the contract to build a 220-15/6.6 KV high-voltage distribution substation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The $38.8million contract was signed on the 6th of August by Elsewedy Electric for Transmission and Distribution of Energy with the Societe Nationale de Electricite (SNEL). The substation is to be built in Kasumbalesa in the Haute-Katanga province to:

1. Enable the efficient management of energy flow between the electricity grid of South Africa’s Power Poll and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. To improve the energy exchanges and the measurement of the exchange between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia
3. To promote the socio-economic development of Kasumbalesa and its surroundings.

The Egyptian company is to oversee the engineering, procurement and construction of the project on a turnkey basis. The project is projected to be completed in 18 months from the date of commencement.

Elsewedy Electric is a leading integrated energy solution provider in the Middle East and Africa. Due to the global market crash earlier this year, the company has reported a 4% decrease in year-on-year revenue for the first-quarter earnings of 2020, however, the company recorded a 54.2% growth year-on-year in its turnkey projects business segment.

In the company’s quarter one earnings release, the Chief Executive officer, Ahmed El Sewedy said, “The segment has already gotten off to a strong start, with promising performance at Elsewedy solar PV and wind energy projects during this period. We also continue to explore opportunities for mergers and acquisitions that further burnish the company’s value proposition and enhance its ability to operate competitively in unforeseen circumstances.”

With an overall of 9%, DRC has one of the lowest rates of electrification in the world. According to a USAID statistics in 2018, the access rate to electricity in the rural areas is 1% while that of the urban areas is 19%.