Business
Grand Inga Hydropower Project: The ultimate African power project
Aerial view of the semi-functional Inga dam on the Congo River. PHOTO/UNEP
With an estimated cost of US$80 billion, the Grand Inga Hydropower Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will not come cheap.
But its 40GW output would drive Africa into a brave new world of industrialization, potentially lighting up the continent from Cape Town in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt.
However, the absence of clear intent from the Democratic Republic of Congo has so far capsized attempts to dam the Congo River.
If the Grand Inga Hydropower Project is built, it would dwarf China’s Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest energy generating body, with almost double its capacity.
Two smaller power stations, Inga I and II, are currently in place with an optimum generation capacity of 1,775MW, but output is far less, due to a maintenance backlog.
Plans exist for Inga III, which could generate 4,300-5,000MW at a cost of US$8 -10 billion, but despite years of discussion and planning involving the African Development Bank and the World Bank, there have been no firm commitments.
