Substation at the Inga I and Inga II hydropower plants in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has undergone modernization and digitized.
This project, carried out on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to stabilize and enhance the efficiency of electricity distribution in the DRC. The substation, previously outdated, was unable to fully utilize the energy produced by these hydropower plants despite their prior modernization.
The updated substation will help ensure a reliable flow of electricity from Inga I and II to consumers, improving both living conditions and economic development across the DRC. Germany’s state-owned development bank KfW invested US $22.1M in financing the project to enable the Kinshasa control center to detect and correct faults early, thereby stabilizing the grid, reducing energy losses, and minimizing the frequent power outages that hinder businesses and daily life.
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Limited energy
In addition to the initial investment made, an extra US $4.4M was allocated to connect four turbines at the hydroelectric plant to the new control system, further optimizing power distribution. One of the key challenges in modernizing the substation was the need to keep the hydropower plants operational during the upgrade, which required the work to be done in stages. The COVID-19 pandemic also delayed progress due to work restrictions and supply chain disruptions. However, the project has now been successfully completed.
Despite these advancements, access to electricity in the DRC remains limited, with fewer than 20% of the population connected to the grid. Of the country’s 18 million households, only 2 million have electricity, with significant disparities between urban and rural areas. The DRC’s hydropower potential is substantial, with the Inga power plants alone generating 90% of the electricity consumed in Kinshasa, yet power losses and outages remain common due to aging infrastructure.
Germany, through BMZ, is supporting the DRC in harnessing its immense hydropower potential, which is estimated at 100GW, the largest in Africa. The World Bank is also considering further expansion of the Inga power plants to help meet the country’s growing energy demands.
