Name of the Project
Grand Inga hydropower project.

Location
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Client
DRC government.

Project Description
The 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.

Jobs To Be Created
Not stated.

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. The African Development Bank, World Bank, French Development Agency, European Investment Bank and Development Bank of South Africa have 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
Construction is expected to take four to five years to complete.

Latest Developments
The DRC government has asked Chinese and Spanish consortiums vying to develop a much-delayed $14-billion hydroelectric project to work together and submit one bid.

The statement represents a new delay for the Inga 3 project, which has struggled to attract financing. Last May, government announced plans to select a developer by October 2016 and begin construction this month.

The World Bank announced it had suspended funding for Inga 3 last July after the presidency took control of the project from the prime minister's office, raising concerns about transparency .

A brief statement from the presidency gave no reason for the latest decision, which affects the China Three Gorges Corporation and a consortium that includes engineering giant Actividades de Construccion y Servicios.

"The two consortiums have been invited . . . to do everything possible to . . . [one] group before submitting an optimised bid," a statement from the presidency has said.

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 and the cost of the project has also been underestimated several times.

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