COMILU Granted Eligible Customer Status by DRC Electricity Authority
On December 23, 2024, Sandrine Mubenga Ngalula, the Director General of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ARE) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), announced that the Luisha Mining Company (COMILU), based in Lualaba province, had been granted “eligible customer” status.
This status was officially confirmed during a compliance notice presentation to the company’s delegation, led by Li, the head of COMILU.
In an unusual move, the eligibility status was conferred directly by the Director General of ARE, rather than through the customary ministerial decree from the Minister of Water Resources and Electricity. This special consideration marked a departure from tradition.
“We were honored to receive the Chairman of the Board of Luisha Mining Company, COMILU, and Mr. Li and his team, who came to receive the compliant opinion confirming their eligibility as an eligible customer,” said Sandrine Mubenga during the announcement.
She further explained, “The status of eligible customer is typically granted by the Minister of Water Resources and Electricity through a decree.
It applies to consumers with an installed power greater than 1 megawatt or an annual consumption of over 5 gigawatt-hours for non-residential electricity use. This status allows them the flexibility to choose their electricity supplier.”
In November 2024, several large energy consumers in Lualaba province were also granted eligible customer status, further emphasizing the growing recognition of high-energy users in the region.
It is important to note that, under Article 3 of Order No. 030/CAB/MIN-ENRH/2017 of April 21, 2017, electricity consumers in the DRC are eligible for this status if all or part of their electricity consumption at their place of business is for non-residential purposes. Residential consumption, which pertains to household use, is not eligible.
