The Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa are set to resume talks on the long-delayed Inga 3 hydropower project, reviving one of Africa’s most ambitious energy plans.
Congo’s government said discussions would restart in April, with South Africa’s electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, expected to visit Kinshasa to review and update existing energy agreements tied to the project.
Inga 3 forms part of the wider Grand Inga scheme on the Congo River and has been under consideration for years. Once built, it could generate between 4,800 megawatts and 11,000 megawatts of electricity, although final project specifications are still being studied.
The two countries already have a political agreement for Congo to export 2,500 megawatts to South Africa.
Ongoing talks are expected to revisit that deal and consider increasing supply to as much as 5,000 megawatts, reflecting South Africa’s growing power needs.
If developed, the project could also feed electricity into several regional grids across southern, eastern and central Africa, positioning Congo as a key power exporter.
Analysts say this could help ease chronic electricity shortages in parts of the continent, though timelines remain uncertain.
The World Bank, which is supporting early-stage work, has described Inga 3 as a project with the potential to generate export revenue for Congo while improving electricity supply in Kinshasa and nearby industrial areas.
However, significant challenges remain. The project is still at the preparation stage, with costs expected to exceed $10 billion and no final investment decision yet in place.
To move forward, Congolese authorities are working on financing structures with the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project (ADPI), backed by international partners including the World Bank and France’s development agency.
The World Bank has committed up to $1 billion over 10 years to support the broader development programme, with the first tranche approved in 2025.
For now, the renewed engagement signals a fresh attempt by Congo to bring back investors and partners around a project that has long promised to reshape Africa’s energy landscape, but has yet to move beyond planning.
Email Us on editorial@nnafrica.com
