The National Agency for Electrification and Energy Services in Rural and Peri-urban Areas (ANSER) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has formalized a strategic partnership with Cybastion Institute LLC, an American company specializing in engineering and structuring energy projects. This memorandum of understanding, signed on Friday, February 27, aims to accelerate rural electrification in the DRC, as part of a broader agreement between the DRC and the United States.
The partnership will focus on the design, financial structuring, and implementation of electrification projects, particularly those based on solar energy, in rural and peri-urban areas. ANSER will play a key role in identifying priority projects and institutional coordination, while Cybastion will bring its expertise in feasibility studies and mobilizing international funding.
Thierry Wandji, head of the Cybastion delegation, emphasized the investment opportunity that rural electrification in the DRC represents, given the scale of the needs. He also mentioned that Cybastion's expertise is based on five main pillars: digitalization, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, knowledge transfer, and energy. Wandji added that by investing in areas targeted by the state, Cybastion will help accelerate the country's digitalization.
Cyprien Musimar, Director General of ANSER, stated that this initiative stems from meetings between the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, and Cybastion in the United States. He emphasized that this partnership is part of a broader agreement between the United States and the DRC, bringing not only American companies but also significant funding for projects.
The agreement, with an initial term of 24 months renewable, provides for a progressive development of projects, including technical, environmental and social studies, the structuring of financing and the preparation of execution contracts. Thierry Wendje assured that the first results of this partnership will be visible before the end of the year. This memorandum of understanding is a preliminary step to the negotiation of a financing agreement between an American commercial bank and the Minister of Finance of the DRC.
This partnership marks an important step in energy cooperation between the DRC and the United States, aimed at improving access to electricity and living conditions for people in rural areas.
