The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has endorsed a public-private partnership with Portuguese firm Mota-Engil for the "complete rehabilitation" of the Congolese part of the Lobito Corridor. This decision, announced on July 10 by the Congolese government, moves forward a key infrastructure project aimed at significantly reducing transport times for critical minerals from Africa's Copperbelt to Western markets. Mota-Engil is already part of a consortium operating the connecting rail line in Angola, ensuring cross-border continuity to the Atlantic Ocean.
The project focuses on renovating the dilapidated railway that traverses major mining hubs in the DRC, including Kolwezi, Tenke, and Lubumbashi. While the contract terms, including investment amounts, duration, and financing structure, are still being finalized, the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) had previously indicated a letter of interest for up to $1 billion to support Mota-Engil in this endeavor. The overall Lobito Corridor project, encompassing approximately 2,600 km of railway, is estimated to cost between $6 billion and $8 billion, linking copper mines in the DRC and Zambia to Angola's Port of Lobito.
This development follows the DFC and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) reaching a financial close on a $786 million funding package for the Angolan section of the Lobito Corridor. This funding includes a $553 million, 15-year DFC senior secured loan and a $200 million DBSA facility for upgrading the 1,300 km railway from Lobito to Luau on the DRC border, as well as the mineral terminal at Lobito. The Angolan concessionaire, Lobito Atlantic Railway, a joint venture between Mota-Engil and Trafigura, has operated this section since 2024 and transported over 200,000 tonnes of cargo in 2025.
The proposed rehabilitation in the DRC, specifically the Dilolo–Sakania railway, is valued at $1.258 billion and aims to progressively increase annual capacity to approximately 13.7 million tonnes. This enhancement is crucial for diversifying the DRC's export routes for critical minerals like copper and cobalt. While the government's approval is a significant institutional step, the full financial package and concession agreement are still pending, with due diligence ongoing to address various project aspects, including traffic forecasts, costs, environmental requirements, and operating responsibilities.
Simultaneously, there are efforts to connect Zambia to the Lobito Corridor, and China is advancing a separate $1.4 billion overhaul of an export railway to move minerals from Zambia to the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. The Lobito Corridor is seen as a strategic regional asset that strengthens Africa's trade competitiveness and supports the global energy transition by improving market access and reducing transport costs for landlocked countries.
