CONGO RAILWAY
DEVELOPMENT AG
The pioneering integration project for environmental protection and social development - the focus is on the creation of jobs and the establishment of a state-of-the-art infrastructure in Africa - development and construction of the railroad in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The railway network in the Congo will be connected to all 9 neighboring countries in the course of the project and will make a significant contribution to the integration of the central African region.
THE PROJECT
Feasibility studies are being carried out by well-known German, Western and Asian companies as part of the project. Plans for surveying, hydraulic engineering, bridges, train stations, workshops and warehouses, transshipment stations, logistics centers, intermodal connections to sea and inland ports, airports, locomotives and wagons as well as special technology such as railway cranes and gantry cranes, telecommunications equipment and security technology are supplied.
Energy generation is ensured by decentralized biomass power plants. These are installed at certain intervals on the respective railway line with around 20 MW of electrical power and locally supplied with renewable biomass, CO2-neutral. This creates jobs in the energy sector and, in some cases, also supplies small local towns with electricity.
There are a number of other projects related to this railway project. Among other things, a modern telecommunication system with fiber optic lines for both internal and external telecommunication is being set up next to the tracks. It offers the provinces and municipalities the opportunity to use high-speed Internet connections with the resulting national backbone telecommunications system and thus to work on a global level.
Perspective
The first two corridors, each around 500-900 kilometers, will be built within 4-5 years to be expanded step by step. Not only do the track, signal safety and communication technology have to be supplied, but also a large number of goods, machines and equipment that are not available in the DR Congo. Local suppliers are preferred.
Subprojects
The railway infrastructure is linked to a large number of additional projects. These include: A telecommunications project - connecting the regions with a fiber optic cable as a backbone for Internet access and fast, world-class IT systems, telephone services and a project to develop the energy supply for the railways.
Structure
The structure of the new railway is managed by the concession company and shaped by specific subsidiaries that are established for the individual business areas. The existing railway companies are involved in the 3 operational regional companies.
Concession
The concession covers the preparation, construction and operation of the railway infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For this purpose, feasibility studies are carried out. On the basis of the results, further details on the investment plan and schedule are then determined. There is a fixed cooperation and direct involvement of the national railway companies.
Social Development
The project helps to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and is based on the standards of the World Bank and international organizations for “best practice”. A lot of sustainable local jobs are created directly and indirectly. The social standard will be raised as part of the project. It is planned to involve NGOs.
History
Only the most modern, suitable and environmentally friendly technologies are used. Human rights, social claims and social development are complied with in accordance with World Bank standards, and compliance checks are carried out. With experienced teams in various areas, the project meets these requirements.
ABOUT THE DR CONGO
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa and with an area of around 2.3 million square kilometers it encloses the size of Western Europe. In just 30 years, the 85 million inhabitants of the DR Congo will condense to 350 million people and thus live in what will then be the most populous country in Africa. For 10 years it has been one of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world. Experts, banks and companies share the vision of successful industrialization in a few years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is considered the fifth most resource-rich country in the world.
The President Felix Tshisekedi has therefore decided to make important areas such as logistics, energy, mining and raw material processing core elements of his industrialization policy, which also includes the railways.
2020
Founded
2000
kilometre
3
stretch
21st
Partner countries
History of the railroad in the DRK
The project has been developed by evagor gmbh since 2011 with partners. It consists of 6 specific railway connections, so-called corridors, as well as other future railway lines. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the Belgian colony "Free State of the Congo", received the first railway connection around 1885. Around 6500 km of railway lines had been built up to independence in 1960. In the 1960s, these were modern and largely electrified to European standards. In the years of the change of government at the end of his term of office and after President Mobutu, the railway was gradually taken out of service due to a lack of maintenance and very quickly fell into disrepair due to the damp climate and thick vegetation. This was followed by 15 years of major investments in mining with massive transport volumes. The transport of millions of tons of goods, goods, equipment and raw materials is still carried out with an armada of thousands of heavy trucks. These are not only extremely expensive, but also very polluting. The often old trucks are a road safety problem and cause many road deaths and injuries in the Congo, as well as in neighboring countries. The raw materials from the south of the Congo, for example, are transported over 3,500 km to South Africa. Roads are congested and neighboring countries such as Zambia are discussing truck driving bans from the Congo, as the infrastructure there is being destroyed by wear and tear.
The three corridors
The first corridor will run from the border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the border town of Dilolo to Kolwezi, an important mining town, and on to Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the Congo, and then on to Sakania on the border with Zambia. With these approximately 850 km, the southern part of the Congo, which is larger than France, will have its first new rail connection. This will first be of great importance for the ever growing mining industry.
The second corridor with 780 km will connect the capital Kinshasa, which today has 14 million inhabitants, with the Congo Central region and the coast and the new deep-sea port in Banana. Kinshasa will have a population of 30 million in the next 15 years and today it imports almost 95% of all goods, including numerous foods. Several million tons are transported every year.
A third corridor will connect the Central Congo to the east of the country, including the Kassai region.
Energy & Communication
The first two corridors, each around 1,000 kilometers long, will be built within 4-5 years to be expanded step by step. Not only do the track, signal, safety and communication technology have to be supplied, but also a large number of goods, machines and equipment that are not available in the DR Congo.
Art and Culture
The DRK has countless artists. Some of the oldest known kingdoms were located in the present-day territory and are part of the country's rich culture, reflected in tribal and modern national arts. Partnerships with universities and faculties are planned to build the railway. Congolese designers help to design stations and equipment for the railroad and produce them in the Congo.
NGOs
As the project progresses, it is planned to cooperate with NGOs in various areas.
INVESTORS
Investors come from Germany, Europe, Asia and other regions. Local investors from Africa and the DR Congo are particularly targeted. The state has a 15% stake in the existing railway companies, without making any investments of its own and without taking any risks.
In the future, investors should be individual investors and institutions.
PARTNER & PARTNER COUNTRIES
Partners are various companies, institutions, associations and people who are particularly committed to the development and implementation of the project. This includes
evagor gmbh
Evagor gmbh is an investment consulting and project development company. It finances and establishes international investments and supervises projects from the idea to implementation.
SKYPOWER GLOBAL
SkyPower is one of the largest and most successful independent power producers developing, financing, building, owning and operating utility-scale renewable energy projects around the world.
HPC AG
HPC AG prepares feasibility studies and reports for international infrastructure projects, industrial projects and raw material deposits; it also prepares environmental reports and operates environmental projects.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has 9 neighboring countries. In the future, these should all be connected to the rail network. These include the Republic of Angola, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Other partner countries are the countries from which the investors and suppliers come and which benefit from the railway project as third countries, as well as East African countries with important ports up to South Africa.