Congo Peace May Herald $700 Million Power Deal With US Company

Symbion Power LLC is proposing a 140-megawatt power plant and transmission lines along the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda if the two countries can implement a recent US-backed peace agreement.

The New York-based firm pitched to spend $700 million on converting methane gas to electricity on the Congolese side of Lake Kivu in the context of an economic integration deal signed between the two nations, according to Symbion and US officials. The company already planned a smaller plant on the lake, but development was stalled by conflict in the region.