Hydropower mega projects prove elusive
Accessing adequate and reliable power supplies in DR Congo is problematic and costly for firms operating in the country. The government and international development partners have dedicated large amounts of time, effort and finance on hydropower mega projects but these projects have been subject to repeated delays and setbacks, thwarting attempts to increase domestic electricity supplies. For instance, the Inga I and Inga II dams were completed some time ago but continue to operate well below full capacity as a result of poor maintenance and repairs at the plants and their transmission lines. Ceremonial ground breaking that was to signal the start of construction of the enormous Inga III project was penciled in for late 2015. However, the start date has been pushed back to 2017 at the earliest as various aspects of the project have slipped behind schedule. These projects have the potential to supply vast amounts of electricity to the DR Congo and wider African continent but are likely to suffer from poor governance and project implementation, regional insecurity, concerns over environmental impacts and human rights issues. It may be the case that focus will switch to smaller-scale hydro and solar projects to help reduce the country’s power gap at a more local level, whilst these mega-projects and their associated infrastructure upgrades slowly progress.