The United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) plans to fund a new study directed at helping strengthen power infrastructure along the Lobito Corridor as part of the United States’ growing focus on energy security and critical mineral supply chains in Africa.

The USTDA’s Country Manager for Africa and the Middle East Laura Whitman told reporters the project will focus on improving power infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, two countries at the heart of the mineral-rich corridor linking the region to the Atlantic Ocean.

“The Lobito Corridor is a key logistics route in Central and Southern Africa that is vital to diversifying U.S. critical mineral supply chains,” Whitman told an Africa Regional Media Hub briefing. ‘’…this activity that we’ll be funding will provide our partner with the technical analysis that they need, the commercial structure needed to develop the project and ultimately bring in financing to implement this power infrastructure. ‘’

After a slow start, the U.S. is racing to secure critical minerals central to the renewable energy push, taking on China which has expanded in the region and throughout the African continent. The DRC is the world’s largest supplier of cobalt, a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries, and is also a major producer of copper, which is critical for power grids, renewable energy systems and electrification.

Beyond cobalt and copper, the DRC holds significant deposits of lithium, tantalum, tin, tungsten and germanium, as well as substantial reserves of gold, diamonds and rare earth elements. However conflict on its eastern flank has meant these resources remain largely untapped.

Whitman said the study, which will be formally announced within weeks, will evaluate opportunities to rehabilitate, modernise and expand electricity networks serving mining operations and surrounding communities, particularly in the Copperbelt region, where energy demand from mining companies often outpaces supply, leaving households and small businesses underserved.

The Lobito Corridor is a strategic transport and logistics network linking the DRC and Zambia to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito. Washington views the corridor as a critical infrastructure project that can help diversify global supply chains for essential minerals such as cobalt and copper.

Through partnerships with Angola, the DRC, Zambia, the European Union and other international financiers, the U.S. has committed billions of dollars to rail, energy and related infrastructure along the corridor.

The USTDA is intensifying efforts to connect African utilities and policymakers with U.S. technology companies. Earlier this year, the agency hosted delegates from Angola,

Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia in the United States to explore solutions for grid modernisation, transmission upgrades and regional power integration.

Since its establishment more than 30 years ago, USTDA says it has facilitated more than $127 billion in U.S. exports linked to infrastructure projects in emerging markets.