The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking funding from the World Bank and other financial institutions for the construction of the Grand Inga Dam, a mega hydropower project that could provide electricity across the entire African continent.
The Grand Inga Dam, capable of generating 44,000 megawatts of power, is expected to cost $80 billion. Africanews correspondent Chris Ocamringa visited the site, where the Congo River’s powerful currents offer a promising solution to the country’s ongoing energy shortages. The government plans to build six additional hydropower stations near a waterfall in western DRC, adding to the two already operational.
Once completed, the Grand Inga Dam will be the largest hydropower project in the world.
However, progress on the dam has stalled for over a decade due to disagreements between the previous DRC government and the World Bank over transparency issues. The current government has renewed discussions with the World Bank to secure funding for the project.
The initiative has also faced criticism from activists, who argue that the project prioritizes the needs of investors in the mining sector over the goal of providing widespread electricity access across the country. A significant portion of the power generated will be directed to DRC’s mining-rich Katanga region, but neighboring countries like South Africa and Nigeria have also expressed interest in importing electricity from the Grand Inga Dam.
Ben Munanga, Chairman of KAMOA Copper S.A., which operates in the DRC’s mining sector, defended the project, saying, “The national electricity utility serves the population and companies. While it gives priority to mining companies, there is nowhere in the contract that says 100 percent of the power should go to them.”
Despite the DRC’s vast hydropower potential, many Congolese citizens continue to live in energy poverty. The majority of the population, struggling with poverty, is unlikely to afford the electricity generated by the dam.
Business leaders at the Makutano International Forum, which concluded on Nov. 15, expressed optimism about the project’s potential. “We have to do it, regardless of the size of the project—whether here at Inga or anywhere else in the country. Even a small dam must be built,” said Eric Monga, vice-president of the Congo Business Federation (FEC).
While authorities estimate it could take another decade to complete the six dams and begin generating clean energy, they say the long wait will be worth it for the country’s future.
