Africa

WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL FACILITATES ACTION ON THE INGA HYDROPOWER PROJECTS

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The World Energy Council (WEC) initiated an International Forum on “How to make the Grand Inga hydropower project happen for Africa" .

WEC is organising this high level Workshop on the financing of the Inga projects, in London, from 21 – 22 April 2008. The objective of the Workshop is to identify the key financial requirements and partners for an accelerated and sustainable development of the Inga projects. The Forum consists of high-level representatives from governments, top-level executives from major energy companies and related businesses, leading financial institutions and the WEC Member Committees.

An Action Plan was established, with three Phases to move ahead:

Phase 1: Ensuring support by a broad range of stakeholders, including G8

Phase 2: Setting up a project framework

Phase 3: Developing the project, raising finance and preparing for construction.

A “Team Inga” opened up to external Companies / Institutions is to achieve Phase 1 of the WEC Inga Action Plan, under the leadership of WEC.

The initiative should facilitate and accelerate the start up of the Inga Projects (Inga 3 and Grand Inga), which is essential for their development and realisation; as well as the refurbishment and renovation of the existing facilities (Inga 1 & 2 power stations, HV transmission system and MV and LV distribution network).

A “Inga Infrastructure & Services Integrated Zone” would be a hub to support engineering, equipment maintenance and other services and manufacturing, in order to develop technology transfer and local capacities and to facilitate job creation in Africa.

Its establishment would be facilitated and supported by a consortium of Suppliers (Equipment and Material Constructors and other Contractors, DRC and other Governments) - WEC and Team Inga will help in establishing this Zone.

Particularly, the development of Inga 3 and Grand Inga, as African integrator projects, will offer great opportunity for supplying the majority of the African energy market, including SAPP countries in Southern Africa, and also other African countries in the West and North and East regions.

WEC is thus intending to build on these perspectives to champion the Inga Projects and to bring the relevant organisations and actors to support their realisation, namely:

The rehabilitation of existing installations (Inga 1 & 2)
The development of Inga 3 and Grand Inga hydropower Projects.

Half a billion people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity, which has contributed to the continued poverty and underdevelopment that ravages the continent. Electricity is a bridge to sustainable development. On its own, electricity is not sufficient for creating the conditions for sustainable development, but it is a prerequisite and the cornerstone for economic progress, social development, harnessing technological progress and environmental sustainability.

Development of the huge African hydropower potential, of which only 7% is presently exploited, will bring clean and affordable electricity supply to Africa, and thus contribute substantially to the achievement of the three WEC Millennium Energy Goals of Accessibility, Availability, and Acceptability; which are the fundamental pillars to achieving the sustainable supply and use of energy.