Central African Power Pool Regional Interconnection and Access (CAPP-RIA) - Phase 1 (WB-P508320)

Regions
  • Africa
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Countries
  • Cameroon
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Congo, Republic of
  • Gabon
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Specific Location
Central African region: Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Cameroon
Whenever identified, the area within countries where the impacts of the investment may be experienced. Exact locations of projects may not be identified fully or at all in project documents. Please review updated project documents and community-led assessments.
Financial Institutions
  • World Bank (WB)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Proposed
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
A
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Voting Date
Dec 7, 2026
Date when project documentation and funding is reviewed by the Board for consideration and approval. Some development banks will state a "board date" or "decision date." When funding approval is obtained, the legal documents are accepted and signed, the implementation phase begins.
Borrower
CAPP Secretariat; Ministry of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation; and others
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Energy
  • Infrastructure
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Grant, Loan
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Loan Amount (USD)
$ 167.50 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Grant Amount (USD)
$ 113.00 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Project Cost (USD)
$ 280.50 million
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Bank Documents
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ WB website

Updated in EWS Sep 16, 2026

Disclosed by Bank Feb 12, 2026

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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

According to the Bank’s website, the objective of this project is to (i) increase regional electricity trade in Central Africa, and (ii) increase access to electricity in participating countries.

The proposed Central African Power Pool Regional Interconnection and Access (CAPP-RIA) Program is a Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach (MPA) operation that aims to expand regional electricity trade and increase access to electricity services in the Central African region. Supporting the establishment of a regional electricity market will enhance energy security, reduce costs of electricity supply and improve the resilience of the energy system. CAPP-RIA comprises two phases that focus on three thematic pillars: 1) augmenting regional integration, 2) expanding electricity access, and 3) strengthening institutional capacity.

Over the next 10 years, CAPP-RIA will support regional integration in Central Africa through investments and technical assistance in developing the regional transmission network, reinforcing and expanding national and cross-border transmission and distribution systems, and strengthening the enabling institutional and regulatory environment for efficient power trade. Phase 1 includes preparing and implementing on-grid access projects in the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Gabon, Republic of Congo, and Cameroon, as well as Medium-Voltage (MV) cross-border projects. It also involves pre-investment studies for High-Voltage (HV) interconnections. The estimated budget for the first phase is US$330.5 million. For Phase 1, the CAPP Secretariat will be the implementing agency for the technical assistance aspects of the project whilst the national power utilities in the involved countries shall execute the on-grid access and MV cross-border investments.

Early Warning System Project Analysis
For a project with severe or irreversible impacts to local community and natural resources, the Early Warning System Team may conduct a thorough analysis regarding its potential impacts to human and environmental rights.

The program Environmental Risk is considered high due to its large scale, cross-border nature, diverse ecosystems, and the range of natural resources potentially impacted by project activities. These environmental concerns are typical for regional power interconnection efforts, highlighting the need for comprehensive assessment and mitigation planning. All five beneficiary countries are contiguous Central African states and members of the Congo Basin Forest, recognized for his unique and rich biodiversity. The program will operate nationally across urban, peri urban, rural, and forested border regions. In Phase 1, Technical Assistance (TA) will address high voltage (HV) transmission lines, which could have several downstream environmental effects, as early decisions on routing, corridor width, and technology choices may lock in future impacts on biodiversity, land use, and ecosystems. Phase 1 also funds medium- and low-voltage (MV/LV) distribution investments and household connections, choosing from vetted sub-projects. Future HV corridors (Phase 2/3) and associated facilities imply large right of way clearing and associated impacts on vegetation, fauna, landscapes, land acquisition, pollution risks, community resettlement, cumulative environmental issues, and transboundary effects.

Key social risks include: (i) land acquisition and economic or physical displacement, potentially complicated by customary land tenure systems; (ii) impacts on vulnerable groups, including risks of exclusion and livelihood insecurity; (iii) labor influx risks, such as pressure on local services, GBV/SEA/SH risks, and community–worker tensions; (iv) potential impacts on cultural heritage; and (v) community health and safety risks related to construction activities, traffic, and work sites. Under Phase 1, the MPA will finance project preparation and Environmental and Social (E&S) studies for high voltage transmission lines. An assessment of the Project Management Unit indicates no prior experience with the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). Given the limited institutional capacity and the nature of anticipated risks, the project’s social risk rating is High.

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Total Project Cost: US$ 280.50 million
IDA Credit: US$ 113.50 million
IDA Grant: US$ 113.00 million
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development: US$ 54.00 million


Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

CONTACT POINT - World Bank

Task Team Leader: Momodou A K Njie
Title: Senior Energy Specialist
Email: maknjie@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Anna Aghababyan
Job Title: Senior Operations Officer
Email: aaghababyan@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Monyl Toga
Title: Senior Energy Specialist
Email: mtogamakang@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Yang Liu
Title: Senior Energy Specialist
Email: yliu41@worldbank.org

TTL Contact: Daniel Camos Daurella
Title: Senior Energy Specialist
Email: dcamos@worldbank.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

To submit an information request for project information, you will have to create an account to access the Access to Information request form. You can learn more about this process at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/access-to-information/request-submission

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank Inspection Panel is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by a World Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Inspection Panel, they may investigate to assess whether the World Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can contact the Inspection Panel or submit a complaint by emailing ipanel@worldbank.org. Information on how to file a complaint and a complaint request form are available at: https://www.inspectionpanel.org/how-to-file-complaint

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