DR Congo president inaugurates Chinese-built power substation

KINSHASA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi on Monday inaugurated the Chinese-built Kinsuka substation, located on the outskirts of Kinshasa, DRC's capital.

During the ceremony, Tshisekedi warmly congratulated the completion of the Kinsuka substation, highlighting his country's desire to promote mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with China.

Chinese Ambassador to the DRC Zhao Bin accompanied Tshisekedi to the control room of the substation and briefed him on the project. The two sides also had in-depth exchanges on issues related to economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

When completed, the project is expected to significantly improve the local power supply for about 2 million residents nearby, expand the coverage of the DRC's national grid, and boost the country's economic development.

Financed by the Export-Import Bank of China, the project is built by Shanghai Electric, a Chinese multinational power generation and electrical equipment manufacturing company. According to the World Bank, the DRC has one of the least developed electricity networks in Africa, and its hydropower potential is far from being exploited.

In July 2021, Tshisekedi laid the foundation stone for the Kinsuka substation project.