Accompanied by a team from the Park Management Unit, a European Union (EU) mission visited Boende from October 30 to November 2, 2023, where it consulted stakeholders and collected preliminary data for a photovoltaic power plant construction project.

During this mission, Ms Marion Watroba, head of renewable energies at the European Union Delegation in the DRC, and a consultant specializing in this field, accompanied by a team from the Salonga Park Management Unit, met with the political and administrative authorities of Tshuapa province, representatives of the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC), local business groups, the head of the Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL) and the Agence Nationale de l’Electrification et des Services Energétiques en milieux rural et périurbain (ANSER). Subsequent studies will determine the size of the infrastructure, the costs and the conditions of implementation.

A mission may soon visit Monkoto , headquarters of the Salonga National Park, to carry out preliminary assessments with a view to the possible development of this type of infrastructure.

The European Union is keen to improve the living conditions of the communities living alongside the Salonga National Park and to reduce the pressure on the park’s resources through various socio-economic development actions carried out by the Salonga Park Management Unit, funded by EU.