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, the first stage of the much larger Grand Inga scheme, 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 the damming of the Congo river.
The second phase, the Inga 3 high-head project, will add an additional 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 capacity.
Value
Inga 3 is expected to cost an estimated $12-billion to complete. Funding will come from several sources, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, the French Development Agency, the European Investment Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
The entire Grand Inga project is estimated at $50-billion to $80-billion.
Duration
The launch date for construction of the first phase of the Grand Inga project is October 2015.
Latest Developments
South Africa’s Cabinet has approved the ratification of the Grand Inga Treaty with the DRC.
The treaty will result in South Africa buying more than half of the power generated by the first phase of the world's biggest hydroelectric project.
South Africa has agreed to buy 2 500 MW of electricity during the first phase, under the treaty that was signed in October 2013 and which will be tabled in Parliament.
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.
Contact Details for Project Information
Embassy of DRC in South Africa, tel +27 12 344 6475 and fax +27 12 344 4054.