Expressions of interest have been invited for a public-private partnership to produce railways for domestic and export markets.
The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) for a project to design, finance, build, equip and operate new railway production facilities in the DRC, with the aim of avoiding the high costs, long lead times and dependence on foreign suppliers resulting from imported railways.
According to the Notice of Expression of Interest, new railways will be needed for projects to revive and modernize the DRC’s 5,000-kilometre network and for major regional integration projects such as the Lobito Corridor. In addition to reducing project costs and ensuring supply, local production is expected to create skilled jobs and skills transfer, while enhancing local content and strengthening the DRC’s industrial sovereignty.
Three sites have been selected to form the new domestic railway supply chain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- Raw materials, such as iron ore, limestone and coal, will be extracted and processed in Panalia, Chubu County, an area rich in iron ore and bursting with energy potential.
- The main production unit, including the hot rolling mill for the production of UIC 54 and UIC 60 railways, will be located in Kisangani, and
- Manufacturing and quality control will be carried out in Kinshasa, which will also serve as a logistics hub for exports.
The notice of expression of interest states that the complex will be equipped with electric arc furnaces, supplied by a hybrid hydro/solar power plant. Metallurgical laboratories and testing facilities will also be established, in addition to a technical and industrial training center.
The project will be implemented under a build-own-operate-transfer model or as a public-private partnership (PPP), with the participation of the government and investors such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the World Bank, Afreximbank, TDB and Exim Bank. The design, construction and operation will be carried out by a dedicated project company or special purpose vehicle (SPV).
Bids of interest must be submitted by March 9, 2026. Bidders will be asked to submit a concept note outlining their technical approach, financing structure, proposed public-private partnership approach, training and technology transfer plan, and implementation timeline.
The evaluation criteria and weighting will be as follows:
- Industrial experience: 30%
- Technical approach and innovation: 20%
- Skills transfer/local content: 15%
- Financial capacity: 15%
- PPP structure/governance: 15%
- Environmental sustainability: 5%
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