Africa To Build World’s Largest Hydro-Electric Dam

[Locutus]

The Congo River traverses the continent of Africa, ending its journey in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where it spills 1.5 million cubic feet per second into the Atlantic Ocean. Now, plans are underway to harness this tremendous force of water in what promises to be the world’s largest hydropower scheme, The Grand Inga.

The Grand Inga Hydropower Project could produce up to 40,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, more than twice the power generated by the current most powerful dam in the world—the Three Gorges Dam in China—and more than a third of the electricity currently produced in all of Africa. Yet despite the Grand Inga Project’s location in the DRC, a country where only 10 percent of the population has access to electricity, the majority of the generated power is set to flow to industries, manufacturing and urban consumers in far-away South Africa.


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Africa to Build World's Largest Hydro-Electric Dam, but Who Will Benefit? - Waking Times

 

[timmers]

Its quite a long way from the DRC to South Africa; the power lines would have to cross several countries. Wouldn't it be cheaper for South Africa to build solar plants or wind farms in their semi-arid north?

 

[bill barilko]

Its quite a long way from the DRC to South Africa; the power lines would have to cross several countries.

Yes there's a lot to this story that's not in the article.

Wouldn't it be cheaper for South Africa to build solar plants or wind farms in their semi-arid north?

Both are still very expensive and South Africa has a lot of poverty-it'll happen one day certainly but not soon.

 

[timmers]

Yes there's a lot to this story that's not in the article.



Both are still very expensive and South Africa has a lot of poverty-it'll happen one day certainly but not soon.

I see, I just think moving your energy through 2 or 3 countries is illogical; they will treat it as an oil pipeline i.e. they'll want to get paid. And if you fallout with any of them, they could cut you off just like that.
If I was the decision maker, i'd rather spend a little bit more and avoid all those possible complications!

 

[petros]

IRENA | EventsÂ*|Â*Events archiveÂ*|Â*Africa Clean Energy Corridor – Executive Strategy Workshop

Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), extending from Egypt to South Africa, but would have future prospects to be extended to other power pools on the continent. Since four-fifths of all electricity within the corridor region is generated from coal in SAPP and a mix of gas and oil in EAPP, there is ample opportunity for hydro, geothermal, biomass, wind and solar power flowing along such a corridor to reduce fossil fuel use and power plant operating costs. As demand for electricity will double in SAPP and quadruple in EAPP within twenty-five years, the opportunity is growing. Yet so far, renewable power development in the region has consisted mostly of hydropower and smaller amounts of geothermal and wind power, with very little biomass or solar power.