Democratic Republic of the Congo





The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reserves of  petroleum, natural gas, coal, and a potential hydroelectric power generating capacity of around 100,000 MW. Electricity from hydroelectric plants amounts 98.6% of total installed capacity. Electricity from fossil fuels amounts to 1.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

The Inga Dam, alone on the Congo River, has the potential capacity to generate 40,000 to 45,000 MW of electric power, sufficient to supply the electricity needs of the whole Southern Africa region. Ongoing uncertainties in the political arena, and a resulting lack of interest from investors has meant that the Inga dam's potential has been limited. The national power company is Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL).


The DRC had received a US$73.1 million technical assistance grant  from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) for the Inga 3 Basse Chute (Lower Falls) project. DRC also recruited consultants in July and August 2014  to serve on expert panels on dam safety monitoring and environmental and social monitoring of Inga 3 Basse Chute.
The 350-MW Inga 1 and 1,424-MW Inga 2, completed in 1972 and 1982, respectively, are currently undergoing refurbishment. In all, the Grand Inga complex is expected to include seven phases.


DRC announced in October 2013 that it had short-listed three groups of companies to be the potential developer of Inga 3 Basse Chute. They include China Three Gorges Corp. and Sinohydro Corp. of China; Posco and Daewoo of South Korea and Canada's SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.; and Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA and the Eurofinsa Group of Spain. The country's government has said it hopes to begin work on the Inga 3 portion by October 2015.


Thermal power stations
Hydroelectrical power stations
  • IngaHydroelectric Power Stations, located in the Bas-Congo region, i140 miles south-west of Kinshasa, at two existing dams, Inga 1 and 2, have been in operation since 1972 and 1982 respectively, together generating nearly 1 800 MW. . The next phase of the Grand Inga project, Inga 3, is expected to cost in the region of US$12-billion and produce around 4 800 MWof electricity. Subsequent phases, adding up to an eventual total capacity of 40 000 MW, will allow countries in southern Africa, north-east Africa and parts of west Africa to benefit from production at the site. It is envisaged that a new transmission line from the DRC to South Africa will be constructed after Inga 3. The transmission line will most probably go through Zambia and Zimbabwe and Botswana. The first phase, dubbed Inga III, will on its own generate more power than Africa’s current largest hydroelectric-dam, the High Aswan on the Nile in Egypt. Construction should begin in 2015 and will cost at least $8.5 billion. The energy is mostly destined for South Africa, 3,000  kilometers away, where energy utility Eskom has promised to take more than half the capacity of 4,800 MW
  •  Ruzizi I Hydroelectric Power Station, at the Ruzizi River outlet from Lake Kivu, was commissioned in 1958. The Ruzizi II Power s\Station was added in 1989. Ruzizi I and II are operated by a tri-national company (Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo) owned by the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries. The consortium is planning two more dams, Ruzizi III and IV.. Ruzizi I has a generating capacity of about 30 MW and Ruzizi II about 44 MW. Ruzizi III, to be built downstream of the other two, is projected to have a capacity of 145 MW when it becomes operational in about 2016. As part of the Ruzizi III project, Ruzizi I and II are to be refurbished. If eventually built, Ruzizi IV will be positioned between Ruzizi II and Ruzizi III and is projected to operate at more than 200 MW.



Other hydroelectric power stations owned by SNEL:

  • Zongo has an installed capacity of 75 MW
  • Sanga has an installed capacity of 12 MW
  • Mpozo has an installed capacity of 2.21 MW
  • Mwadingusha has an installed capacity of 68 MW
  • Koni has an installed capacity of 42.12 MW
  • Nseke & Nzilo  has an installed capacity of 356.40 MW
  • Kyimbi has an installed capacity of 17.20 MW
  • Kilubi has an installed capacity of 9.9 MW
  • Lungudi has an installed capacity of 1.6 MW
  • Tshopo has an installed capacity of 18.8 MW
  • Mobayi has an installed capacity of 11.40 MW



Other hydroelectric power stations owned by mining companies:

  • Budana has an installed capacity of 13.8 MW
  • Nzoro has an installed capacity of 1.4 MW
  • Soleniama1 has an installed capacity of 13.5 MW
  • Soleniama has an installed capacity of 21.6 MW
  • Ambwe/Kailo has an installed capacity of 2.2 MW
  • Belia has an installed capacity of 2.2 MW
  • Mangembe has an installed capacity of 1.8 MW
  • Lulingu has an installed capacity of 0.7 MW
  • Lutshurukuru has an installed capacity of 5.1 MW
  • Moga has an installed capacity of 0.4 MW
  • Tshala & Lubilanji1 has an installed capacity of 8.6 MW
  • Piana Mwanga has an installed capacity of 29 MW



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