Said to have the potential to be the world’s largest hydropower project, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Grand Inga has faced more than its share of problems. However, could the project eventually meet its proposed completion date of 2025?
AllAfrica.com reported that the project is about to have some much needed help coming from the likes of the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The news site also said that a “number of private, foreign energy companies are all keen to contribute large sums” for the project. The only foreign energy firm that seemed interested was Australia’s BHP Billiton, Africa’s biggest aluminum producer with two smelters in South Africa and one in Mozambique. The firm was interested in about 2,000 MW for an aluminum smelter in the country’s western Bas Congo province. And BHP Billiton did become the majority supporter funding the Inga 3 hydrodam that will generate 3,500 MW to 4,000 MW once complete.
In February it was announced that AECOM and Electricité de France (EDF) would conduct the feasibility study over two years on the development of the site and the associated transmission lines. The results were anticipated to be released in Q3 2011, but nothing has been released to date.
South Africa and the DRC signed a MoU on November 12 for the 39,000 MW project. The agreement would increase ties between the countries’ national utilities, South Africa’s Eskom and the DRC’s Societe Nationale d’Electricite Societe a Responsibilite Limitee National (SNEL). Negotiations for a treaty to make the MoU effective are expected to be concluded over the next six months.
Despite the potential that the Grand Inga has, if its components the Inga 1 and 2 are any indicator, the scheme is still at risk. The Inga 1 and 2 are operating well below capacity and according to data from the DRC’s Energy Ministry, the country only contains 2,500 MW of installed power capacity. And despite efforts to upgrade infrastructure, only 1,200 MW is currently being generated.
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