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PC: BBC

Context

The World Bank has approved $250 million in financing for the Inga 3 hydroelectric project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite considerable resistance from civil society groups and long-standing governance issues.

What is the Inga Dam?

The Inga Dam is a series of hydroelectric projects on the Congo River that aim to harness the enormous energy potential of Inga Falls. Inga 1 (1972) and Inga 2 (1982) are operating, while Inga 3 and Grand Inga are proposed extensions.

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P.C: Wikipedia

Location

Located around 225 kilometers southwest of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Nations and Institutions Involved:

• Lead Nation: Democratic Republic of Congo
• Financing Partner: World Bank, potentially committing $1 billion overall

Key Features of Inga Dam

• It is 50 kilometers upstream from the Congo River's entrance into the Atlantic Ocean and 225 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of Kinshasa on the Congo River.
• The location is distinguished by exceptionally high average river flows (the world's second largest after the Amazon), a natural drop of around 97 meters generated by rapids, and a bend in the river that allows for various low-impact designs. 
• The project may generate up to 40,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which is more than twice the power provided by the world's current most powerful dam, China's Three Gorges Dam, and more than a third of the electricity produced in Africa. 
• The World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, French Development Agency, and Development Bank of South Africa will fund the project, which is anticipated to cost $80 billion US dollars.

Inga 3 is projected to cost US$14 billion and to generate 4,800 MW when completed. 

Source: Downtoearth