The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced plans to double the size of its planned Inga 3 hydroelectric plant.
Reuters reported that this move is to make it more economical “after the $14 billion project was hit by financing problems.”
According to Bruno Kapandji, director of the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project, the plant would be built to produce between 10,000 and 12,000 megawatts of power, more than double the originally planned capacity of 4,800 MW, Reuters reported.
“Inga 3 is part of a $50 billion-$80 billion project to expand hydroelectric dams along the Congo River, but the project has repeatedly been delayed by red tape and disagreements between Congo and its partners on the project,” Reuters reported.
According to the project’s director, the consortium led by China Three Gorges Corporation and another consortium that includes Spain’s ACS (Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA), will submit a joint bid on the expanded project in September.
“Increased capacity would help meet rising power demand and bring down costs, he said, although he did not say how much the expanded project would cost.
“The original $14 billion project struggled to attract financing and the World Bank last year suspended funding after the president’s office took control of the project, raising transparency concerns at the bank.” Read more…
In 2014, South Africa signed a power purchase agreement with the DRC for the supply of 2,500MW of power generated from The Grand Inga Dam – Inga Project 3.
This was a mere formality following the authorisation of the Grand Inga Treaty by government and will allow SA officials to begin providing support to Congo before the commencement of the tender process.
