Grand Inga Dam


The Grand Inga Dam is a series of seven proposed hydroelectric power stations at the site of the  Inga Falls, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If built as planned, the project, would be the largest power station in the world.

Location

The project would be located across the Congo River, approximately, upstream of where the river empties into the Atlantic Ocean. This is approximately, southwest of Kinshasa, the capital and largest city of the DR Congo. This is the site of the Inga Falls and is the location of the 351 megawatts Inga 1 Hydropower Station and the 1,424 megawatts Inga 2 Hydropower Station, approximately upstream of Matadi, the country's largest port.

Overview

It is anticipated that the waterfalls, the volume and velocity of water flow at this site, can support a series of hydroelectric power stations, each with generation capacity ranging from 4,000 to 8,000 megawatts for a total of 40,000 megawatts for the whole complex. Inga III Power Station with capacity of, would be the first power station in the series, to be constructed. The current design allows for the independent development of the different power stations in the series, as well as the phased development of each station. Each of the seven dams could be owned by different investors.

Financing

The total construction bill for Grand Inga has been calculated to be as high as $80 billion. The World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank, have provided funding for feasibility and environmental impact studies. In 2016, the World Bank cancelled its support for the Grand Inga Project. It is expected that the power stations will be developed as a public private partnership project.

Recent developments

In June 2020, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo resolved to present the project to the regional heads of State and explore the market on the continent for the power generated. They have recruited the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development in their efforts to get the power station built. South Africa has indicated willingness to buy 2,500 megawatts of the dam's output. Nigeria is interested in buying 3,000 megawatts and the Congolese mines in Katanga Province are interested in 1,300 megawatts.