The consortium which is led by China Three Gorges, alongside a European consortium, led by Actividades de Construcción y Servicios (ACS) of Spain, is set to see the vast scheme nearly triple DRC’s generating capacity by powering its mining industry and supply to South Africa as well.
Inga 3 hydroelectric dam project
The Inga 3 project is part of a major programme to expand hydroelectric dams along the Congo River. It has been on the drawing board for around 30 years but has been repeatedly delayed.
The country has struggled to mobilize the required financing for what would be among the largest single investments on the continent in one of Africa’s riskiest countries to invest in.
The hydroelectric dam project is set to generate nearly 5GW in installed capacity. However, the project proponents recently suggested further revisions to its design to produce up to 11GW of power, which would require significant additional infusions of capital for engineering redesigns, project feasibility studies and mitigation measures. The new suite of required studies for the proposed redesign would significantly increase the project’s costs and financial risks.
The companies involved including China Three Gorges, ACS, Power China, and AEE Power will share responsibility for the toll that the Inga project would take on affected communities, the environment, and present and future generations of Congolese who would bear the enormous financial costs including a huge debt burden.
The Inga Falls is unique because it allows hydro power dams to be built near the mouth of the principal river of a continental basin. Usually dams can only be built in upriver locations, where the valley is narrower. About 42 million tonnes of water flow through the lower Congo every second, the second greatest volume after the Amazon.
EARLIER REPORT ON THE PROJECT:
Construction of US $13.9bn Inga3 hydropower to commence this year
Jun 21, 2018
The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to start construction work this year on the frequently delayed Inga 3 hydro power project at a predicted cost of US $13.9bn, after receiving a joint bid from two previously competing consortia of investors. This is according to Bruno Kapandji, director of the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project.
Project delays
DR Congo, Africa’s biggest copper producer and the world’s largest source of cobalt has been considering building Inga 3 for more than a decade to address a power shortage that has curbed mining-industry growth.
A treaty signed in 2013 allowed the plant to export 2,500MW of power to South Africa. The plant would form part of a larger Grand Inga hydro power complex spanning part of the Congo River and produce as much as 50,000MW when complete, according to the World Bank.
China Three Gorges Corp and Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA of Spain submitted a joint bid on June 6 for the project that will produce 11,000 MW.
“Our aim is to start Inga3 hydro power this year. The two consortia have given us a document in which they committed to creating a single consortium. We are in the process of preparing, discussing and negotiating the exclusive collaboration contract which will allow the single candidate to go to the market to find the financing.” Kapandji said.
Construction process
The two consortia will work together and submit a joint offer to build and manage the hydro power and once a concessionaire company has been established, the developers will commit themselves to mobilizing the funds to pave way for construction.
The initial phase plan of the project was supposed to produce 4,800MW .However, its capacity status changed after an increase in demand. According to Mr. Kapandji, The mining industry’s energy deficit has increased from about 500 megawatts to 1,300MW in the intervening years since the project was conceived. Construction of the power plant is estimated to take seven years.
No comments :
Post a Comment