Africa plans largest hydroelectric dam in world

Apr 21, 2008 - Xinhua

ADDIS ABABA -A plan to build the largest and most powerful hydroelectric dam in the world is being discussed in London, BBC reported Monday.

Financiers and African politicians will look at how to finance the 80 billion U.S. dollar cost of the Grand Inga project.

The plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo will generate twice as much energy as China's Three Gorges Dam and is hoped to boost Africa's electricity supply by a third.

The World Energy Council (WEC), which is hosting the two-day meeting in London, said the Grand Inga project will help the estimated 500 million Africans without access to electricity.

Power will be transmitted to other countries via a giant new distribution system to Egypt in the north, Nigeria in the west and to South Africa in the south.

In order that construction can start as planned in 2014, the WEC is calling for finance for a feasibility study to be done as soon as possible.

The Grand Inga project will be built on the Congo river alongside two existing hydroelectric plants and is expected to begin operating between 2020 and 2025.

The plans include a 205-meter-high dam, 15-km-long reservoir and a plant with a capacity to produce 320 terawatt hours of electricity annually.