The Zaire River in central Africa is one
of the major hydroelectric potentials
in the world and it remains as-yet
largely not harnessed. Feasibility
studies on this river have highlighted
potential sites for the development
of more than 40000 MW of firm, continuous
electric power production. Further
developments could achieve potentials
of the order of 100 GW.
Egypt-Zaire Interconnection Project
At the present time, there are no
local need for such large quantities
of electric energy. The surplus electric
energy which is not locally needed
could be utilized to complement the
needs of some of the African countries
and could also be exported to Europe.
In 1987, an agreement has been signed
by the Minister of Mines and Energy
of the Republic of Zaire and myself,
in which it was agreed to study the
feasibility of the interconnection
of the electric networks in both countries
in order to make use of the huge hydroelectric
potentials at Inga on the Zaire River.
In 1988 the two Governments of Zaire
and Egypt filed jointly a request
to the African Development Bank to
finance the feasibility study for
the power system interconnection between
both countries, involving also Central
African Republic, Chad, and Sudan.
The Bank approved a grant from eh
African Development Technical Assistance
Fund to finance the study.
The objective of the study is to identify
the best electricity transmission
schemes from a technical and economic
stand point, which would be competitive
with the local options for satisfying
the electricity needs for Zaire and
Egypt beyond the year 2005. It will
also take in consideration possible
tapping points in Sudan, Central African
Republic and Chad.
The stage of the pre-feasibility Study
started in March 1993, the results
of which are encouraging. The second
phase of the study consists in optimizing
the best three schemes selected during
the pre-feasibility study and in further
elaborating technical and economic
evaluations, and the best scheme will
be selected. |
