The South African parliament’s portfolio energy committee has requested the legislature to ratify a treaty it had signed with DR Congo in October 2014 on the Grand Inga project
The treaty facilitates the provision of a framework to enable power generation from the Grand Inga project to African nations.
If the treaty is ratified, the hydropower project could help alleviate energy challenges in the region. It will pave the way for the development of Inga 3, which will provide 2,500MW of power to South Africa. On the whole, the Grand Inga project has the potential to supply 40,000MW of power to southern, northeast and western Africa, stated local reports.
In addition, it is likely that a new transmission line from DR Congo to South Africa will be constructed after Inga 3 is completed. The transmission line will likely pass through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Jeff Radebe, minister for planning monitoring and evaluation in the South African Presidency, said, “The Inga project has the potential to supply clean and affordable imported hydroelectric power to meet the needs of DR Congo, South Africa and surrounding countries. The project holds the potential to fastrack SADC development, alleviate energy poverty, stimulate economic growth and facilitate infrastructure development.”
