Name and Location
Grand Inga hydropower project, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Client
DRC government.

Project Description
The Grand Inga project, which will be located on the Congo river, is expected to generate 44 000 MW of electricity once all the phases are complete.

Inga 3, or Basse Haute – the first stage of the much larger Grand Inga project – will produce 4 800 MW of electricity and will be completed in two phases.

The first phase, the Inga 3 low-head project, will have a capacity of 1 800 MW and will not require damming the Congo river.

The second phase, the Inga 3 high-head project, will add 3 000 MW and includes the construction of the Grand Inga dam.

Five other hydropower plants will be built on the same dam, eventually increasing the plant’s cumulative capacity to 44 000 MW.

South Africa is expected to buy 2 500 MW of Inga 3’s 4 800 MW capacity.

Value
Inga 3 is expected to cost an estimated $14-billion to complete. The development of the project will be implemented through a public–private partnership deal. The African Development Bank, World Bank, French Development Agency, European Investment Bank and Development Bank of South Africa have all shown interest in financing the project. In December 2013, the US, through its development agency USAID, also expressed interest in contributing to the financing of Inga 3.

The cost of the entire Grand Inga project is estimated at $50-billion to $80-billion.

Duration
Basse Haute is planned to start in 2017.

Latest Developments
The selection of a consortium to build the dam is in an unplanned second round of bidding, delaying the project.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
The Grand Inga project has been delayed several times over the past 40 years. The cost of the project has also been underestimated several times in the past and the true cost of the project remains unclear.

Contact Details for Project Information
Embassy of DRC in South Africa, tel +27 12 344 6475 and fax +27 12 344 4054.