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 40–70 GW 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 MW Inga 1 Hydropower Station and the 1,424 MW Inga 2 Hydropower Station, approximately upstream of Matadi, the country's largest port.Overview
The project would involve building a dam across the south of the Bundi River valley where it meets the Congo, then diverting the Congo from above the waterfalls into the north of the valley to create a huge reservoir. It is anticipated that the vertical drop, 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 to 8 GW for a total of 40 GW for the whole complex. Inga III Power Station, with capacity of 4.8 GW, 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. Estimates based on International Energy Agency, a global watchdog, say that 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity.The project has been delayed for years. According to José Ángel González Tausz, chairman of AEE Power there are several reasons for that: "Even if the project is one of the best all over the world – it does not have the credibility." He refers to the corruption within DR Congo, a lack of infrastructure, and sluggish development. Other reasons include the conflict in the eastern part of the country and the fact that investors are also "afraid" because the Grand Inga would not show returns for decades.