The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$250 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) as the first phase of a US$1 billion Inga 3 development programme. This long-term programme is a multi-phase approach that will help the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) lay the foundations for the sustainable development of Inga 3 – DRC’s largest power project to date – starting with investments in local people, infrastructure, and jobs.
Access to energy is one of the most significant roadblocks to DRC’s economic transformation and job creation at scale. Only 21% of Congolese people have access to electricity, but this is set to change. Under DRC’s National Energy Compact, aligned with the Africa-wide Mission 300 initiative, the government is embarking on a range of investments and reforms designed to increase power generation, attract private sector investors and improve the performance of the national energy utility, with the goal of lifting electricity access to 62% by 2030. The Inga 3 development programme will boost the pace of institutional change and provide much-needed power generation capacity to sustain the country’s energy progress beyond 2030.
“The electricity generation potential at the Inga site is one of the largest in the world. The development of Inga 3’s hydropower will be transformative for DRC. By increasing access to clean, renewable and affordable energy for Congolese households and industries, it will serve as a motor for inclusive growth and jobs. Laying solid technical and governance foundations and earning community support will be essential to realise this challenge,” said Bob Mabiala, Head of the Agency for the Development and Promotion of Grand Inga (ADPI-DRC).
The first phase of the Inga 3 development programme will focus on local development opportunities in Kongo Central, to improve the living conditions and economic prospects of approximately 100 communities (1.2 million people) living close to Inga. These communities will directly benefit from improved basic services and infrastructure that they have prioritised, including clean water, distributed renewable energy and rural roads. This will create economic opportunities and jobs. Additionally, skills development and higher education training will build local capacity to fill jobs created by Inga.
The World Bank’s financial support and technical assistance will help ADPI-DRC manage the Inga Program and finalise preparations for Inga 3, the third plant at a site on the Congo river that includes two older hydropower plants which provide most of DRC’s electricity. This includes support for detailed studies, capacity building, and project structuring. Inga 3’s scale – potentially generating between 2 – 11 GW of power, and its technical and stakeholder complexity, mean that its preparation and construction will take around a decade and require government, development partners, the private sector, and civil society to come together.
“This is an opportunity to write a new page in DRC’s development story, one that harnesses the country’s rich resources to lift millions of people out of extreme poverty. By supporting DRC’s vision for Inga through this programme and complementary investments in governance, education and infrastructure, the World Bank Group, together with partners, can significantly contribute to converting DRC’s natural resources into economic growth, jobs, and human development for the Congolese people,” added Albert Zeufack, World Bank Division Director for Angola, Burundi, DRC, and Sao Tome and Principe.
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