Corridor 12 · Southern Africa
Lobito–Kolwezi–Lubumbashi–Solwezi–Ndola
Atlantic-facing rail corridor from Lobito through the DRC Copperbelt to Zambia — the EU and US flagship for critical minerals evacuation.
- Angola
- DR Congo
- Zambia
Extractive potential
The world's densest cobalt and copper belt — DRC produces ~70% of global cobalt.
Minerals mapped along the corridor
- Copper
- Cobalt
- Gold
- Iron ore
Flagship projects
- Lobito Atlantic Railway
30-year concession to Trafigura–Mota-Engil–Vecturis.
Financing structure
EU, US DFC, AfDB and EIB co-financing.
Criticism
Evacuates unprocessed ore — Africa remains a price-taker while refining stays outside the continent. Like the wider CUSA shortlist, the corridor exists to mitigate EU critical-raw-material supply risk.