Grand Inga Hydropower Project

Grand Inga Hydropower Project Latest News

The World Bank has approved $250 million in financing for the Inga 3 hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite widespread opposition from civil society groups and longstanding governance concerns.

About Grand Inga Hydropower Project

• It is a hydroelectric project on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• It is the world’s largest proposed hydropower scheme.
• It is 50 km upstream of the mouth of the Congo River into the Atlantic Ocean, and 225 km (140 miles) south west of Kinshasa on the Congo River.
• The site is characterized by particularly high average river flows (the second largest in the world after the Amazon), a natural drop of around 97 meters caused by rapids, and a bend in the river that makes a variety of lower-impact designs possible. 
• The project could produce up to 40,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, more than twice the power generated by the current most powerful dam in the world—the Three Gorges Dam in China—and more than a third of the electricity currently produced in all of Africa. 
• The project will cost an estimated $80 billion US dollars, with funding provided by the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, French Development Agency and Development Bank of South Africa.
• It would be developed in seven phases beginning with Inga 3, which itself would have two phases. 
  • The Inga 3 dam will be located on the largest waterfall in the world by volume, Inga Falls.
  • Inga Falls is already incorporated into the Inga 1 (351 MW) and Inga 2 (1,424 MW) hydroelectric facilities, commissioned in 1972 and 1982, respectively.
  • Inga 3 is projected to cost US$14 billion and to generate 4,800 MW when completed. 

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Grand Inga Hydropower Project FAQs

Q1. The Grand Inga Hydropower Project is being developed on which river?

Ans. Congo River

Q2. In which country is the Grand Inga Hydropower Project located?

Ans. Democratic Republic of Congo

Q3. What is the estimated total power generation capacity of the Grand Inga Project upon completion?

Ans. 40,000 MW

Source: DTE