Industry organisation the African Energy Chamber (AEC) says it strongly supports the Makelele biogas project, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which includes a 60 MW gas-to-electricity system to connect consumers in the Goma and North and South Kivu provinces through existing trading hubs.

The AEC recognises this development as a critical step to unlocking a new era of energy resilience and industry growth on the back of biogas development and exploitation.

The DRC Ministry of Hydrocarbons has selected US power engineering and construction firm Symbion Power to develop the Makelele biogas project in Lake Kivu in the eastern part of the country. The project will include more than $300-million in investment for the development of a 60 MW gas-to-electricity system.

With the DRC aiming to increase energy access from current levels of 10% to about 32% by 2030, the Makelele biogas project will play a crucial role in helping the country realise its electrification goals, the AEC says.

With Lake Kivu’s biogas potential relatively high, estimated at about 700 MW of electricity over a period of 50 years, the Makelele biogas initiative will help strengthen the DRC’s energy sector by opening up new opportunities for power generation and sustainable development for decades to come, the chamber states.

“The AEC believes gas is the future for Africa and represents both a clean and widely available energy resources. Gas will be key for unlocking new opportunities across the power generation, industrialisation and broader economic space. This project represents the start of the DRC’s gas journey and we are looking forward to a suite of new opportunities to be launched as a result,” says AEC executive chairperson NJ Ayuk.

Further, with the Southern and Central African regions continuing to struggle with chronic electricity shortages and high prices, Symbion Power’s proposal to develop a regional transmission line to trade electricity from the Makelele biogas project across the region represents good news for African countries, the chamber adds.

Therefore, the AEC commends Symbion and the DRC government and recognises the role this project is set to play in opening up Africa’s wider power market as nations move to eradicate energy poverty by 2030.

The DRC is seeking to attract international energy companies, drive investment and private sector participation to maximise energy production, and the Makelele biogas development is a step in the right direction regarding DRC–global partnerships. The project is set to capitalise on the country’s largely untapped energy potential while serving as a blueprint for the DRC’s biogas industry.

Additionally, in terms of local content, DRC Hydrocarbons Minister Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga is prioritising capacity development to ensure local companies and economies benefit from energy sector growth, with the Makelele biogas initiative advancing the country’s workforce development and capacity building further by creating new opportunities for employment as well as the expansion of related industries, such as manufacturing and construction, the AEC highlights.

“The DRC is seeking to boost energy market stability to address access and affordability issues while supporting economic growth. The AEC believes gas holds the ticket for the country to achieve energy security. We commend the move to drive biogas industry development to meet both the country and region’s energy demand growth,” says Ayuk.