R e s e a r c h o n H y d r o p o w e r  
D e v e l o p m e n t a n d D e l i v e r y  
i n C o n g o  
( B r i e f V e r s i o n )  
Global Energy Interconnection  
Development and Cooperation Organization  
(GEIDCO)  
Preface  
The Congo River, extending vast and endless, is extremely abundant in hydropower  
resources. The average annual flow rate of the estuary is about 41,000 m3/s, and the technical  
exploitable hydropower capacity is about 150 GW. The Congo River is a great treasure given  
to Africa by the nature. The drops of the downstream Congo River, more than 400 km from  
Kinshasa to the estuary, are concentrated with large flow. It is the place with the most  
abundant hydropower resources in the world, and suitable for construction of extra large-  
scale hydropower stations. Accelerating the development of hydropower in the Congo River,  
meeting the power demands of the countries along the Congo River basin and beyond, will  
benefit the whole Africa and effectively solve the problem of insufficient and unaffordable  
electricity supply in Africa, and inject new impetus into Africa's economic development and  
bring new hope for social progress.  
To promote sustainable development of Africa, the Global Energy Interconnection  
Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) proposes to construct African  
Energy Interconnection, to realize the co-development of “Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy,  
Manufacturing and Trade” and to provide new models for the coordinated and sustainable  
development of African economy and society. Under this framework, the research on  
development and delivery of the Congo River hydropower is systematically carried out. The  
study comprehensively evaluates the hydro energy resources and watershed characteristics  
of the Congo River basin, focuses on the cascade layout and development plan of the  
hydropower stations in the downstream Congo River, and analyzed the hydropower  
consumption market, transmission scheme, construction sequence, investment and  
economy. Project investment, financing mechanism and support measures were also put  
forward.  
Taking the development of hydropower in the Congo River basin as the leading factor,  
accelerating the construction of the African Energy Interconnection and realizing the co-  
development of “Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade” is key to  
achieving sustainable development in Africa. Speeding up the development of hydropower  
in the Congo River will strongly promote the interconnection of Africa's cross-border, trans-  
regional and inter-continental power grids, ensure clean, reliable and affordable electricity  
supply in Africa, and promote the electrification, industrialization, cleanness and integration  
of Africa. The development of the Congo River hydropower is an important engine for  
Africa's clean development and economic growth, and a great action that can benefit the  
whole Africa, which also strongly guarantee the realization of the African Union’s Agenda  
2063 development goals.  
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Contents  
Preface.................................................................................................................................. I  
Contents ............................................................................................................................... I  
1 Hydropower Development Promotes Sustainable Development of Africa .................1  
1.1 Opportunities and Challenges of Africa’s Sustainable Development..................1  
1.2 Hydropower Development and Energy Interconnection Are Important Ways to  
Achieve Sustainable Development......................................................................................3  
1.3 Co-development of “Electricity-Mining-Metallurgy-Manufacturing-Trade”  
Contributes to Hydropower Development in Africa ...........................................................4  
2 Hydropower resources and development planning of the Congo River .....................6  
2.1 Overview of the Congo River..............................................................................6  
2.2 River Characteristics and Distribution of Hydro Energy Resources ...................7  
2.3 Main and Tributary Hydropower Development Planning ...................................9  
3 Development Scheme of Hydropower on Downstream Congo River........................13  
3.1 Comprehensive Exploitation Task .....................................................................13  
3.2 Key Exploitation Factors ...................................................................................13  
3.3 Cascade Layout Planning...................................................................................15  
3.4 Hydropower Station Planning............................................................................19  
3.5 Cascade Exploitation Scale................................................................................24  
4 Consumption Market and Transmission Scheme of the Congo River Basin  
Hydropower.......................................................................................................................26  
4.1 Principles for Electricity Consumption..............................................................26  
4.2 Local Consumption Market ...............................................................................26  
4.3 Inter-regional Consumption Market...................................................................27  
4.4 Overall Transmission Scheme............................................................................28  
4.5 Construction Sequence.......................................................................................30  
5 Project Investment Estimation and Economic Analysis .............................................36  
5.1 Investment Estimation .......................................................................................36  
5.2 Pricing Evaluation..............................................................................................36  
5.3 Competitiveness Analysis..................................................................................36  
6 Comprehensive Benefits of Hydropower Development in the Congo River Basin ..37  
6.1 Economic Benefits.............................................................................................37  
6.2 Social Benefits ...................................................................................................37  
6.3 Environmental Benefits .....................................................................................38  
7 Financing Mechanisms and Support Measures...........................................................39  
7.1 Financing Mechanisms ......................................................................................39  
7.2 Support Measures...............................................................................................40  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
1 Hydropower Development Promotes  
Sustainable Development of Africa  
1.1 Opportunities and Challenges of Africa’s Sustainable  
Development  
Great Internal Development Potential. First, Africa is rich in mineral and other  
natural resources. The reserves of 14 major mineral resources in Africa are huge, among  
which the reserves of gold, chromium, platinum, manganese, cobalt, bauxite and phosphorus  
are the highest in the world. The potential of clean energy development is high. Africa’s  
hydro, wind and solar energy resources account for 11%, 32% and 40% of the world  
respectively. Second, the demographic dividend is gradually being released. African  
population growth rate is the highest in the world and the total amount is expected to reach  
2.5 billion in 2050. Meanwhile, the proportion of young people far exceeds that of the rest  
of the world. The quality of the workforce is continuously improving. The internal market  
of Africa will have a large capacity. Third, the business environment continues to  
improve. The institutional innovation has been carried out in African countries, leading to  
a higher administrative efficiency. Some African countries have actively constructed state-  
level industrial parks, supported diversified emerging industries, and introduced attractive  
and competitive preferential measures. In the same time, some African governments have  
improved financial stability and monetary policy discipline. Fourth, the industrialization  
strategy is becoming increasingly clear. The African Union-led “2063 Agenda” regards  
industrialization as an important development path. Dozens of African countries such as  
Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe have formulated  
development strategies and plans. Fifth, regional integration has begun to take shape.  
Regional organizations have established a mechanism for common development, and have  
launched a series of energy and power-related development mechanisms, with energy and  
power as an emphasis for regional development. Important progress has been made in  
market integration. The establishment of theAfrican Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  
was officially launched.  
Favorable External Development Environment. First, significant opportunities  
for global industrial transfer have emerged. African countries can take advantage of the  
latecomer, seize the “window of opportunity” of international labor-intensive industry  
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transfer, and accelerate the establishment of a modern industrial system. Second, trading  
partners have been diversified and external market space has been extended. In the  
past 20 years, trade between Africa and the rest of the world has quadrupled, and major  
trading partners have spread from European and American countries to emerging market  
economies. Third, international organizations have actively participated and  
supported the sustainable development in Africa. International organizations such as the  
United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the G20 are increasing their assist for  
Africa, promoting regional economic integration, supporting infrastructure connectivity in  
Africa, and encouraging the transformation of industrialization. Fourth, the sustainable  
development in Africa is an important part of the “Belt and Road Initiative” initiative.  
China proposed a “China-Africa 10 Major Cooperation Projects” with a total amount of 60  
billion USD, and established a development fund with a total scale of 20 billion USD to  
actively support the infrastructure construction, provide energy-saving emission reduction  
and renewable energy utilization equipment, boosting Africa's clean and sustainable  
development.  
Sustainable development in Africa is facing challenges. First, the overall level of  
the economy is relatively low. In 2017, Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) was $2.4  
trillion, accounting for only 3% of the world. Africa’s per capita GDP is less than $2,000,  
only one fifth of the global average. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than half of the  
world's poor population. In addition, the top ten countries in poverty rate globally are all in  
Africa. Second, the industrialization process is at the beginning and the economic  
structure is simple. The agriculture and extractive industries have always accounted as high  
as 70% in GDP, and provided more than 50% of jobs. The proportion of manufacturing in  
GDP has remained at around 20%, and only contributing about 10% of the employed  
population1. Third, financial markets are unsound and infrastructure projects are  
difficult to finance. African countries have low domestic savings rates, small pools of  
available funds, and unsound financial systems of as examples banking, insurance, securities,  
and guarantees, leading to a limited financing channel. Fourth, the development of energy  
and power is seriously lagging behind. In the terms of energy, Biomass is currently the  
largest primary energy source in Africa and the modern energy accessibility is low. The per  
capita energy consumption is 0.96 tons of coal equivalent, only 35% of the global average.  
In the term of electricity, the electricity shortage issue is serious in Africa. Africa's overall  
1
Source: African Development Bank  
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electricity access rate is only 52%, the total number of people without access to electricity  
is about 600 million, accounting for more than half of the world. The annual per capita  
electricity consumption is 520 kWh, which is less than one-fifth of the world average. It is  
estimated that the terminal electricity price in sub-Saharan African countries averages 14  
US cents/kWh, which is 2 to 3 times that in developing countries1.  
1.2 Hydropower Development and Energy Interconnection Are  
Important Ways to Achieve Sustainable Development  
Construction of Energy Interconnection Promotes Sustainable Development in  
Africa. Ensuring energy supply is an important prerequisite for sustainable  
development in Africa. The rapid growth of African population and economy in the future,  
especially in industrialization and urbanization, would require energy supply. Even taking  
into account the favorable conditions of intensive development and new energy-saving  
technologies, Africa's energy demand will at least double by 2050, and the task of ensuring  
sustainable energy supply in Africa is arduous. Clean energy is fundamental to energy  
supply of Africa. Electricity is the core of Africa's clean energy system. Africa has a  
unique advantage in clean energy resources. An energy pattern dominated by clean energy  
is in line withAfrica's resource endowments. In fact, a small proportion of high-quality clean  
resources can fully meet African demand. More than 90% of clean energy needs to be  
converted into electricity to utilize. The industrialization of Africa, especially in mining,  
steel, chemicals, building materials, and non-ferrous metals industries, needs support from  
electrification. The development of urbanization also requires the support of electrification.  
Sustainable development in Africa needs to accelerate grids interconnection. Grids  
interconnection can be achieved through the construction of African Energy  
Interconnection (AEI). The distribution among African countries is highly uneven. There  
is an urgent need for mutual complementarity and support with neighboring countries  
through interconnection. The interconnection of grids can realize large-scale development  
and wide-area deployment of clean resources, and transform resource advantages into  
economic advantages.  
The theoretical reserves of hydropower resources in Africa are about 4.4 PWh/year,  
and the technical exploitable potential is about 340 GW, accounting for about 11% of the  
1
Source: World Bank.  
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world. The exploitation ratio is still less than 15% and the future potential is huge. The  
development of hydropower could ensure power supply, improve watershed management,  
and promote grid interconnection and multi-energy complementarity. In addition,  
hydropower development could facilitate coordinated economic, social and environmental  
development. Hydropower development promotes economic development. The  
construction of large-scale hydropower and water control projects, except for power  
generation, is also helpful for improving the comprehensive management capabilities of  
flood control, irrigation and navigation. At the same time, direct economic benefits will be  
obtained for countries endowed with great hydropower potential, as surplus electricity will  
be exported to other countries. Hydropower development promotes grids  
interconnection. The development of the power grid is inseparable from the hydropower  
development. Hydropower projects in remote areas require long-distance transmission lines  
to the load center, promoting the grid interconnection and the formation of large power grids.  
Hydropower development promotes multi-energy complementarity and efficient use.  
Coordinated development of hydropower, wind power and solar power generation can fully  
utilize their respective complementarities across time and space. For example, the Congo  
River hydropower can complement the North Africa solar energy; the Nile River  
hydropower can complement the solar energy of North Africa and West Asia, and achieve  
trans-basin seasonal mutual benefit with the Zambezi River hydropower.  
1.3 Co-development of “Electricity-Mining-Metallurgy-  
Manufacturing-Trade” Contributes to Hydropower  
Development in Africa  
Large-scale infrastructure projects such as hydropower and mining development in  
Africa often face the problem of “four lack and one difficulty”, that is, lack of market on  
energy development, lack of energy on mining, smelting and processing, lack of funds on  
large-scale development of energy and minerals, lack of synergy on energy and mining  
coordinated development, and difficulty to land for many large-scale infrastructure projects  
such as energy and mineral development, smelting and processing and so on. The basic  
connotation of the co-development model of "electricity-mining-metallurgy-  
manufacturing-trade"is that by taking the advantages of clean energy and mineral  
resources in Africa, the industrial chain of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade is created, realizing a virtuous circle of “investment-development-production-  
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export-reinvestment”.  
In 1982, the Inga II hydropower station was completed. The subsequent hydropower  
development has been stagnant, mainly due to problems such as unclear market  
consumption and funding sources. The "electricity-mineral-metallurgy-manufacturing-  
trade" co-development model can effectively solve the dilemma of hydropower  
development on the Congo River basin. It will promote unified planning and coordinated  
development of hydropower bases, minerals and metallurgical industries, industrial parks,  
and international trade, which will change the current situation of separation in the  
development of generation, transmission and distribution, and promote the three parties  
signing long-term contracts to form a community of interests based on good expected  
returns of the project. Relying on the endogenous value of the project, together with  
corporate capital and credit, the project can seek financing from syndicates, consortia, and  
social capital, effectively relieving the pressure on government guarantees, and thus solving  
the difficulty of project financing in the Congo River basin countries.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
2 Hydropower resources and development  
planning of the Congo River  
2.1 Overview of the Congo River  
The Congo River is 4,640 km long, with a basin area of about 3.7 million km2, 60% of  
which is in the D. R. Congo, the rest of is distributed in Congo, Cameroon, Central African  
Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola and other countries. The Congo  
River estuary has an average annual flow of about 41,000 m3 / s, an annual runoff of 1,280  
billion m3. Both of its basin area and flow rate rank first in Africa.  
Figure 2-1 Illustration of the Congo River system  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Table 2-1 Main River System Structure of Congo River  
MainstreamMai  
Left bank main  
tributary  
Part  
Right bank main tributary  
Main lakes  
nstream  
Lake  
Tanganyika,  
Lake Kivu,  
Lake  
Bangweulu,  
Lake Mweru  
Lukuga River, Luama  
River, Elila River, Ulindi  
River, Lowa River  
Source~  
Kisangani  
Upstream  
Lualaba River  
Lindi River, Aruwimi  
River, Itimbiri River,  
Mongala River, Oubangi  
River, Sangha river,  
Likouala River, Alima  
River  
Lomami River,  
Lulonga River,  
Ruki river, Kasai  
River  
Lake Mai-  
Ndombe,  
Lake Tumba  
Kisangani ~  
Kinshasa  
Midstream  
Downstrea  
m
Kinshasa ~  
Estuary  
/
Inkisi River  
/
2.2 River Characteristics and Distribution of Hydro Energy  
Resources  
The Congo River has a large and stable annual flow, and it shows the hydrological  
characteristics of a typical river in rainy equatorial regions. The average runoff in the estuary  
was about 31,000 m3/s in the mininum month (August) and 56,000 m3/s in the maximum  
month (December). The average annual runoff is about 41,000 m3/s. Since the beginning of  
the 20th century, the minimum flow from continuous observations was about 22,000 m3/s,  
and the maximum flood discharge was about 81,000 m3/s. The ratio of maximum to  
minimum runoff observed at the Kinshasa hydrology station was about 3.6:1.Based on the  
Global Renewable Energy Exploitation Analysis Platform (GREAN), GEIDCO models the  
river network of the Congo River, and evaluates hydropower theory reserves of the  
mainstream and tributaries. The upstream of the Congo River is located in the transition  
zone from the plateau of Angola and Zambia to the Congo basin, with a large number of  
waterfalls, rapids, leading to rich hydro energy resources; The midstream flows through the  
low-lying central plain of the Congo basin, with numerous tributaries, dense river network,  
gentle longitudinal slope, abundant precipitation, stable water flow and wide river channel.  
Although the runoff in the midstream is large, the river drop is small, which is not favourable  
to hydropower development. In the downstream, river drops are concentrated, forming a  
series of waterfalls. Since the Congo River crosses the equator twice, the flow of  
downstream is quite stable, and the ratio of the annual average discharge of flood season to  
dry season is 1.8:1. Therefore, the downstream Congo River is with best condition for the  
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exploitation of hydro energy resources. According to the assessment, the theoretical hydro  
energy reserves in the Congo River are about 2385 TWh. The theoretical reserves of section  
from Kinshasa to Matadi are most concentrated, reaching more than 938 TWh.  
Table 2-2 Theoretical Reserves of Hydro Energy in Mainstream and Tributaries of the Congo River  
Theoretical reserves of hydro energy  
Mainstream and Tributaries of the Congo River  
（TWh）  
Mainstream  
Of which the Section from Kinshasa to Matadi  
Left Bank Tributary  
1365  
938  
513  
Right Bank Tributary  
507  
Total  
2385  
High  
Low  
Energy Density  
Figure 2-2 Distribution of Hydro Energy Resources in Mainstream and  
Tributaries of the Congo River  
The main tributaries on the left bank of the Congo River are Lualaba River,  
Lomami river, Lulonga River, Ruki River, Kasai River and Inkisi River. The total theoretical  
reserves are 513 TWh/year. Lualaba River is a tributary with a length of 917 km and a  
catchment area of 171,000 km2. The average annual runoff of its estuary is about 1656 m³/s.  
The river section drop is about 836 m, and the average gradient is 0.09%. The theoretical  
reserves of hydro energy are 59.6 TWh/year. Lomami River, a left bank tributary of the  
Congo River with a length of about 1798 km and a basin area of 117,000 km2. The average  
flow of the estuary for years is about 1252 m³/s, the river section drop is about 755 m, and  
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the average gradient is 0.05%, the theoretical reserves of hydro energy are 38.1 TWh/year.  
Kasai River is the largest tributary on the left bank of the Congo River. The total length of  
the Kasai River is 2152 km, with the basin area of 900,000 km2, the annual average flow of  
8010 m³/s, the river drop of 1030 m, and the average gradient of 0.05%. The theoretical  
reserves of hydro energy are 38.1 TWh/year.  
The main tributaries of the Congo River on right bank are Lukuga River, Luama  
River, Elila River, Ulindi River, Lowa River, Lindi River, Aruwimi River, Itimbiri River,  
Mongala River, Oubangi River, Sangha River, etc. The total theoretical reserves are 507  
TWh/year. Lukuga River is the largest tributary on the right bank of the upstream of the  
Congo River. The mainstream is 940 km long, with a basin area of 269,000 km2. The average  
annual runoff of the estuary is about 1,595 m³/s. The river drop is about 571 m, and the  
average gradient is 0.07%. The theoretical reserves of hydro energy are 108 TWh/year.  
Aruwimi River is about 1,196 km long and covers an area of 120,000 km2. The average  
annual runoff of the estuary is about 1391 m³/s, the river drop is about 823 m, and the  
average gradient is 0.7%. The theoretical reserves of hydro energy are 49 TWh/year.  
Oubangi River is about 2299 km long and the basin area is 654,000 km2. The annual  
average runoff rate is 5605 m³/s. The river drop is about 894 m and the average gradient is  
0.04%. The theoretical reserves of hydro energy are 154.8 TWh/year. Sangha River, the  
second largest tributary of the Congo River on the right bank, is about 1,395 km long with  
a basin area of 213,000 km2. The average annual flow rate of the estuary is 2235 m3/s. The  
river drop is about 579 m with a gradient of 0.04%. The theoretical reserves of hydro energy  
are 50.9 TWh/year.  
2.3 Main and Tributary Hydropower Development Planning  
The total technical exploitable capacity of hydropower in the whole Congo River basin  
is about 150 GW. Among all, the downstream and upstream of the trunk tiver, Lualaba River  
and Kasai River on the left bank, and Oubangi River and Sangha River on the right bank are  
the development priorities.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Table 2-3 Distribution of Hydropower Technical Exploitable Capacity in the Congo River  
Planned installed capacity  
River  
（MW）  
Downstream  
Upstream  
110000  
7560  
1390  
8270  
6330  
2780  
Mainstream  
Lualaba River  
Kasai River  
Oubangi River  
Sanga River  
Main Tributary on Left Bank  
Main Tributary on Right Bank  
Other Medium and Small hydropower  
Total  
12000  
148330  
The upstream of the mainstream. From the Zambian border to the Kiambi, six  
cascade hydropower stations are preliminarily planned, with a total installed capacity of  
3.86 GW based on the drop of 328 m. From Kindu to Kisangani, three cascade hydropower  
stations are preliminarily planned to be developed in a dam-type way based on a 44 m drop  
of Boyoma Falls, with a total installed capacity of 3.7 GW. The downstream of the  
mainstream. The section from Kinshasa to Matadi can be initially planned to be developed  
at three levels, with a total installed capacity of about 110 GW and an annual output of about  
690 TWh.  
Figure 2-3 Longitudinal Profile of Cascade Hydropower Stations on Luvua River,  
the Upstream of the Congo River Mainstream  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Figure 2-4 Longitudinal Profile of Cascade Hydropower Stations on  
Kindu ~ Kisangani Section  
Lualaba River, the planned total installed capacity is 1,393 MW. The mainstream of  
Lualaba River is planned to be developed in five levels, with an installed capacity of 797  
MW. The tributary Lufila River is planned to be developed at seven levels, with an installed  
capacity of 506 MW. The tributary Lubidi River is preliminary planned in a 2-level  
development, with installed capacity of 90 MW.  
Figure 2-5 Longitudinal Profile of the Mainstream of Lualaba River  
Kasai River, the planned total installed capacity is 8270 MW. In the upstream of  
Kasai River, four cascade hydropower stations are preliminarily planned, with a total  
utilization drop of 215 meters and a total planned installed capacity of 3 GW. In the  
tributary Kwango River, five cascade hydropower stations are preliminarily planned, with  
a total planned installed capacity of 2.27 GW.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Figure 2-6 Longitudinal Profile of Cascade Planned Power Station of Kasai River  
Oubangi River, the planned total installed capacity is 6330 MW. The upstream of  
Oubangi River is planned to be developed in twelve levels, with an installed capacity of  
3950 MW. The midstream of Oubangi River is planned to be developed in three levels, with  
an installed capacity of 2380 MW.  
Figure 2-7 Longitudinal Profile of Cascade Power Stations in Uele River  
Sangha River, the planned total installed capacity is 2.78 GW, mainly located in the  
mainstream and tributaries of the upstream. Large hydropower stations mainly include  
Chollet (600 MW), Chutes de Nki (350 MW) and Dimboli (200 MW).  
Other tributaries of Congo River in D.R. Congo, including Lomami River, Ruki River,  
Itimbiri River, and Alima River and Likouala River in Congo, have the conditions for  
developing small and medium-sized hydropower. The total installed capacity of these other  
small and medium-sized hydropower stations can exceed 12 GW.  
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3 Development Scheme of Hydropower on  
Downstream Congo River  
3.1 Comprehensive Exploitation Task  
According to natural conditions, resource characteristics, construction conditions,  
social and economic development, and environmental protection requirements of the  
downstream Congo River, the major exploitation task of this river section will focus on  
hydropower generation. It is necessary to coordinate the cascade setting and development  
layout of power plants, to make full use of hydropower resources. Meanwhile, a shipping  
hub can be established at the proper time. Local society and economy will be promoted as  
well as ecological environment.  
3.2 Key Exploitation Factors  
Characteristics of River Sections. First, the downstream Congo River has a great  
quantity of waterfalls and falling waters which are endowed with rich hydro energy  
and are favorable for exploitation. From the Kinshasa to Boma, there are about 30  
waterfalls or rapids appearing continuously within the 400 km long section, with a total drop  
of about 280 m. Main waterfalls include Livingston Falls and Yellala Falls. Second, the  
contraction of the river is beneficial to reducing the length of the dam. The midstream  
of Congo River is bifurcated. The width of that section is expanded as wide as 10 km. The  
mainstream of Congo River is located in the plain canyon below Kinshasa. Many river  
sections are within 1 km wide. Some sections can reach as deep as more than 24 m. Below  
Boma, the gradient is slower, the river is gradually widened. In short, the downstream from  
Kinshasa to Boma is relatively narrow in width and stable in geological conditions. It has  
favorable conditions and advantages of optimizing the dam construction. Third, important  
cities are located along the river bank with convenient transportation. Capital cities of  
both D.R. Congo and Congo, together with many other important cities of these two  
countries are located within the range of downstream Congo River. Matadi and Boma are  
large domestic ports in D.R. Congo. Main roads and railway are built along this river section.  
The necessary building materials of power station construction, as well as large-scale  
electromechanical equipment, can be conveniently transported to the project sites. Fourth,  
the variance of annual runoff is small, which is beneficial to hydro energy utilization.  
The ratio of the minimum and the average runoff is about 0.7, and the ratio of the maximum  
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and the average flow rate is about 1.5, and annual variance is small. The annual hydropower  
curtailment is also small. Relatively smaller adjustment storage capacity can raise the  
hydropower utilization efficiency.  
Figure 3-1 Distribution of Runoff from the Kinshasa Hydrological Station  
Reservoir Inundation. Kinshasa and Matadi are the two large cities along the  
downstream Congo River. Hydropower development should avoid flooding these two cities.  
The town of Luozi is about 175 m high and affected by the Grand Inga Reservoir program.  
It may involve serious inundation problem and could be an important sensitive object during  
hydropower exploitation. The Zongo II Hydropower Station is located in Zongo Town,  
about 75 km downstream of Kinshasa. The installed capacity of the power station is 150  
MW. The tail water elevation of the power station is about 216 m, and the development of  
the cascade hydropower may overwhelm its factory.  
Ecological Flow. The development of Grand Inga hydropower station applies  
intercepting water diversion method. Behind the river dam, a water-reducing section of  
about 30 km long (a section with reduced runoff affected by the project) will be formed. It  
is necessary to discharge the ecological flow and maintain the basic ecological demand of  
the river. The ecological flow evaluation requires an environmental impact assessment.  
According to the habitat characteristics, species distribution and landscape requirement of  
the water-reducing river section, ecological protection objects are indentified. Combined  
with hydrological situation and engineering hub layout, the ecological flow discharge  
requirements and discharge methods will be determined. Based on the layout of the  
engineering hub, a combination of gate locks and ecological units to vent the ecological  
flow can be considered.  
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Figure 3-2 The Ecological Flow of the Grand Inga Hydropower Station  
Boundray River Development. The development of downstream hydropower bases  
mainly involves D.R. Congo and Congo. The development of the boundary river  
hydropower needs to follow the basic principles of “resource sharing, investment  
equivalence, equality and mutual benefit, and risk sharing”. As the huge scale of hydropower  
in the downstream Congo River, coordination of the development rights between two  
involved countries to reasonably and efficiently promote the development of the project is  
also a key issue.  
3.3 Cascade Layout Planning  
Regarding comprehensive development conditions and key influencing factors of the  
river section, the Grand Inga River section should be the core of the exploitation,  
coordinating the upstream and downstream cascade schemes. The downstream Congo River  
is divided into three river sections, from Kinshasa to Pioka, from Pioka to Inga and from  
Inga to Matadi. The three sections will be coordinately exploited.  
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Figure 3-3 Longitudinal Profile of the Lower Reaches of the Congo River  
River Section from Pioka to Inga. The total length of the section from Pioka to Inga  
is about 180 km. The sectional water drop is about 140 m. The average ratio of gradient (the  
ratio of the water drop to the length) is 0.78 ‰. In the development plan, the terrain on both  
sides of the river valley should be utilized to maximize the normal water storage level of the  
power station; Water induction and generation of Inga Phase I and II should be coordinated;  
The impact of flooding and immigrants in the town of Luozi should be comprehensively  
evaluated; The ecological water demand in the dehydrated river section should be  
guaranteed; The cascade layout should facilitate phased exploitation. There are two main  
choices for the FSLof the Grand Inga hydropower station, namely 205 m (high dam scheme)  
and 175 m (low dam scheme). High dam scheme uses about 158 m of water head. The high  
dam scheme can increase the utilization of the water head by about 20%. The installed  
capacity can be increased by about 10 GW. However, the reservoir inundation area of the  
high dam scheme is relatively large, and 50% of Louzi will be inundated, involving more  
than 10,000 people. At the same time, the reservoir inundation area will cover 45 km  
upstream of Pioka, influencing D.R. Congo and Congo. The Grand Inga high dam scheme  
reserves a gap of about 40 m from Kinshasa to Pioka. This cascade will be a low-head, large-  
flow hydropower station. The scale of the station is relatively smaller, and the unit  
investment is relatively higher. Its market competitiveness will slightly decline. Low dam  
scheme can greatly reduce the impact of reservoir inundation. The disputes over the  
ownership of the boundary river can be avoided, which also can bring reduced construction  
time. The low dam scheme reserves the corresponding river section with a drop of about 70  
m, the river section uses a relatively high rate of water head, and the cascade will belong to  
the medium size hydropower station. The power station is larger and the unit investment is  
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relatively lower, yielding stronger market competitiveness. With huge scale of exploitation  
and special layout as a hub, Grand Inga hydropower will exhibit prominent international  
influences and together with complicated economic and social issues. From the perspective  
of overall development of the cascades, the Grand Inga high dam scheme and the low dam  
scheme are both reasonable and feasible. Further researches are still needed for decision-  
making.  
Figure 3-4 Inundation of the Grand Inga Hydropower Station Under 205 m of FSL  
Figure 3-5 The Longitudinal Profile of the Different FSL Schemes for Grand Inga  
Hydropower Station  
River Section from Kinshasa to Pioka is a boundary river between D.R. Congo and  
Congo with a total length of about 140 km. The drop of the river section is about 80 m wide  
and the average river section gradient is reduced to 0.57‰. Considering river channel  
geology, water drop and inundation immigration, two exploitation plans of the river section  
are designed, which are high dam scheme and low dam scheme. Under the Grand Inga  
High Dam Scheme, the Pioka (large scale) scheme is recommended. The dam site is located  
about 45 km upstream of Pioka. The water head is 43 m and the installed capacity is about  
20 GW. The reservoir will inevitably flood the Zongo II hydropower station. Compared with  
the smaller scale scheme, the larger one utilizes 13 m more of water head, and the installed  
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capacity increases by about 6 GW. The annual electricity generation is increased by about  
40 TWh. But it needs to coordinate the inundation, reconstruction and compensation of  
Zongo II station. Under the Grand Inga Low Dam Scheme, one cascade scheme is  
recommended. The rated water head is 73 m, and the power station can adopt the mixed  
flow unit with a larger single unit capacity. The plant size is relatively smaller. However, the  
scheme will inundate part of the Zongo II hydropower station. Through analysis and  
calculation, the installed capacity of the power station is about 35 GW with an annual  
average electricity generation of 221.2 TWh, and the utilization hours are 6,300 hours. The  
investment in the hub project by the one cascade scheme has been greatly reduced compared  
to the two cascade scheme. And the Zongo II hydropower station has a relatively smaller  
scale with low compensation cost.  
Figure 3-6 The Longitudinal Section of the Pioka (Large Scale) and  
Pioka (Small Scale) Schemes  
Figure 3-7 The Longitudinal Profile of the One Cascade and Two Cascades Schemes  
of the River Section  
River Section from Inga to Matadi. The total length of the Congo River from Inga to  
Matati is about 40 km. The water drop of the river section is about 37 m and the average  
gradient is about 0.93‰. The water drop between Inga and Matadi is relatively small. The  
terrain of the river valley is narrow, and the area of the reservoir inundation is not large.  
There are no important towns and no sensitive factors that might impact development. It is  
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preliminarily to develop Matadi hydropower with one cascade. The dam site of Matadi  
hydropower station is located in the upstream of Matadi city. The reservoir inundation  
reaches the downstream of the Grand Inga hydropower station. It is connected to the cascade  
of the Grand Inga hydropower station. The reservoir inundation length is about 30 km, and  
the water drop utilization of the power station is about 30 m. The installed capacity of the  
power station is about 15 GW. The annual average electricity generation is 91.6 TWh. The  
power generation induction runoff is 58,000 m3/s. The utilization hours are 6,107 hours.  
Figure 3-8 Dam Site and Reservoir Area of Matadi Hydropower Station  
3.4 Hydropower Station Planning  
The Grand Inga Hydropower Station. Coordinating development of the overall  
downstream cascades, the total utilized water drops of all cascades in both schemes are  
relatively similar, as well as the installed capacities. The FSL of the Grand Inga power  
station reservoir is below 205 m. The reservoir capacity will be about 12 billion m3; the  
choice of minimum operating level (MOL) will be 200 m. The adjustment capacity will be  
2 billion m3. When the FSL is below 175m, the reservoir capacity will be about 5.4 billion  
m3. Considering reducing 5 m of the water level, the MOLwill be 170 m. And the adjustment  
capacity will reach 1 billion m3.  
In Low dam scheme, 55~60 GW of installed capacity, with the corresponding  
generation utilization hours will be from 6,700 to 6,200 is recommended. The installed  
capacity is slightly increased, while the utilization hours are lower. Consequently, the hydro  
energy can be fully used and the regulation capacity will be enhanced. The hydropower  
generation curtailment can be reduced. At the same time, the economic indices are better.  
Slightly increasing the installed capacity have better scaling effect. Below 50 GW of  
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installed capacity will cause water curtailment. It is not beneficial for hydropower  
transmission and consumption. Above 65 GW of installed capacity, the complemented  
utilization hours are only 700 hours and the equipment utilization rate is low. In High dam  
scheme, 65~70 GW of installed capacity, with the corresponding generation utilization  
hours will be from 6,700 to 6,300 is recommended. The installed capacity is slightly  
increased to lower utilization hours. Hence the hydro energy can be fully used. The  
regulation capacity will be enhanced. The hydropower generation curtailment can be  
reduced. At the same time, the economic indices are better. Slightly increasing the installed  
capacity have better scaling effect.  
Table 3-1 Kinetic Energy Indicators of the Grand Inga Hydropower Station  
(High Dam Project)  
Item  
Unit  
Scheme 1  
Scheme 2  
Scheme 3  
Scheme 4  
FSL  
m
GW  
m
205  
60  
205  
65  
205  
70  
205  
75  
Installed capacity  
Water drop  
155  
155  
155  
155  
Induced runoff  
m3/s  
TWh  
h
39,740  
425.9  
7,100  
95.5  
43,417  
434.1  
6,679  
97.6  
47,095  
439.1  
6,273  
98.9  
50,772  
442.1  
5,895  
99.7  
Annual generation  
Utilization hours  
Water utilization efficiecy  
%
Complemented utilization  
hours  
h
2,570  
1,631  
1,001  
604  
Table 3-2 Kinetic Energy Indicators of the Grand Inga Hydropower Station  
(Low Dam Project)  
Item  
Unit  
Scheme 1  
Scheme 2  
Scheme 3  
Scheme 4  
FSL  
m
GW  
m
175  
50  
175  
55  
175  
60  
175  
65  
Installed capacity  
Water drop  
126  
126  
126  
126  
Induced runoff  
m3/s  
TWh  
h
40,501  
356.8  
7,137  
95.3  
44,940  
366.3  
6,661  
97.8  
49,379  
372.2  
6,203  
99.2  
53,817  
375.7  
5,780  
99.9  
Annual generation  
Utilization hours  
Water utilization efficiency  
%
Complemented utilization  
hours  
h
\
1905  
1171  
696  
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Figure 3-9 Monthly Power Market Demand and Generation Supply  
The Grand Inga hydropower station uses Francis turbines with a single unit capacity  
of approximately 1 GW. The number of units in the high dam scheme is 65 to 70 units, and  
while the number is 55 to 60 units in the low dam scheme. The main building of the project  
consists of dams, spillways and diversion power generation buildings. The dam consists of  
the main dam of the Congo River, the Bundi Dam and multiple sub-dams. At this stage, the  
main dam has planned two schemes, namely high dam and low dam. The elevation of the  
main dam of the high dam scheme is 207 m and the height of the dam is about 90 m. The  
elevation of the main dam of the low dam scheme is 177 m and the height of the dam is  
about 60 m. The spillway is located on the right bank of the main river bed of the Congo  
River and uses curved gates to control the water flow. The ecological plant is located on the  
left bank of the dam, and an axial flow type ecological unit is installed to generate electricity  
by using a flow rate of 4,000 m3/s that is discharged all the year round. The induction power  
generation buildings are composed of induction canals, water inlets, pressure pipes, ground  
buildings and tailraces. The tail water canal is excavated along the right bank of the river to  
the main stream riverbed with an elevation of about 45 m.  
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Figure 3-10 The Layout of the Grand Inga Hydropower Station  
Pioka Hydropower Station. Either under the high dam scheme or the low dam scheme  
of the Grand Inga, the one cascade development plan is recommended for the Pioka River  
section, corresponding to the Pioka low dam and the Pioka high dam respectively. The  
Pioka low dam scheme has an FSL of 250 m and a water head of about 42 m. Through the  
calculation of runoff regulation and kinetic energy indicators analysis, preliminary  
comparison of installed capacity is carried out. The installed capacity is recommended as 20  
GW. The generation utilization hours are 6,400, with the complemented utilization hours of  
1,100. Installed capacity is slightly increased. The generation utilization hours are reduced  
to fully use of the hydro energy and increase the peak-load regulation ability. The Pioka  
high dam scheme has an FSL of 250 m and a water head of about 72 m. The installed  
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capacity is recommended as 35 GW. The generation utilization hours are 6,300, with the  
complemented utilization hours of 900. From perspective of power sources, the generation  
hours are appropriate. It is similar to the Grand Inga hydropower station. The complemented  
utilization hours are reasonable. If the installed capacity keeps increasing, the economic  
benefits of extra complemented capacity will be low.  
The Pioka low dam scheme uses Francis or axial flow turbines. 50 units with a single  
unit capacity of 400 MW is considered. The Pioka high dam scheme uses Francis turbines.  
50 units with a single unit capacity of 700 MW is considered. The Pioka (low) and Pioka  
(high) power station dam sites are located in the same river section, so that the topographic  
and geological conditions are similar. Take the Pioka (high) scheme as an example. The  
water retaining structure is a concrete gravity dam with an elevation of 253 m, a minimum  
elevation of about 163 m, a maximum dam height of about 90 m, and a dam length of 1,900  
m. The dam body surface hole and bottom hole flood discharge is used, and the orifice dam  
section is located at the main riverbed. The diversion power generation building is located on  
the left side of the overflow dam and is mainly composed of a dam-type water inlet and a dam-  
type factory building. The main power station is based on bedrock. The plant hub building consists  
of the main engine room, the installation room, the auxiliary plant, the GIS building and the  
tail water channel. The single-machine capacity is 700 MW with the reference flow is 1,100  
m3/s.  
Figure 3-11 3D Demonstration of the Pioka Hydropower Station  
Matadi hydropower station. The Matadi hydropower station has a FSL of 45m and  
uses about 30m for generation. The installed capacity is recommended to be 14~15 GW.  
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The generation utilization hours with 14 GW of installed capacity are 6,500, with the  
complemented utilization hours of 1,100. The generation utilization hours with 15 GW of  
installed capacity are 6,100, with the complemented utilization hours of 660 hours.  
Economic benefits brought by increasing installed capacity are not high.  
The Matadi hydropower station is a low water head power station and suitable for  
axial flow or tubular flow turbines. It is suggested to set 56 to 60 units with a single unit  
capacity of 250 MW. The dam crest elevation is 47 m, the maximum dam height is about 43  
m, and the total length of the dam is 2,300m. The flood discharge building is mainly a gate  
lock on the left bank. The riverbed plant is located on the right side of the flood discharge  
building, and the joint dam adopts a concrete gravity dam. About 60 hydroelectric  
generating units are installed in the main building.  
Figure 3-12 3D Demonstration of Matadi Hydropower Station  
3.5 Cascade Exploitation Scale  
According to the river section planning study and the cascade operation simulation, the  
reservoir water level of the three-level power station in the downstream Congo River and  
the induced flow for power generation are matched. The overall scale and generated  
electricity of different development plans are basically the same, with a total installed  
capacity of about 105 to 110 GW, an average annual electricity generation of 660 to 690  
TWh, and utilization hours of about 6,200 hours.  
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Table 3-3 The Kinetic Energy Indicators of Cascade Hydropower Stations in Downstream  
Congo River (High Dam Scheme of Inga)  
Item  
Unit  
Cascade 1  
Pioka  
Dam  
Cascade 2  
Grand Inga  
Hybrid  
205  
Cascade 3  
Matadi  
Dam  
Total  
Exploitation method  
Normal water level  
m
250  
45  
Adjustment performance  
Installation capacity  
Tail water level  
Daily  
20  
Daily  
70  
Run-of-river  
15  
GW  
m
105  
207  
47  
15  
Induced runoff  
m3/s  
TWh  
h
54,113  
128.7  
6,437  
99.2  
54,456  
439.1  
6,273  
99.0  
53,929  
91.6  
Annual electricity generation  
Utilization hours  
659.4  
6,280  
99.2  
6,110  
99.7  
Water uitilization efficiency  
%
Table 3-4 The Kinetic energy Indicators of Cascade Hydropower Stations in Downstream  
Congo River (Low Dam Scheme of Inga)  
Item  
Unit  
Cascade 1 Cascade 2  
Cascade 3  
Matadi  
Dam  
Total  
Pioka  
Dam  
250  
Grand Inga  
Hybrid  
175  
Exploitation method  
Normal water level  
m
45  
Adjustment performance  
Installation capacity  
Tail water level  
Daily  
35  
Daily  
60  
Run-of-river  
15  
GW  
m
110  
177  
47  
15  
Induced runoff  
m3/s  
TWh  
h
55,240  
221.2  
6,320  
99.4  
55,000  
372.2  
6,200  
99.2  
53,929  
91.6  
Annual electricity generation  
Utilization hours  
685  
6,230  
99.3  
6,110  
99.7  
Water uitilization efficiency  
%
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4 Consumption Market and Transmission  
Scheme of the Congo River Basin  
Hydropower  
4.1 Principles for Electricity Consumption  
In the upstream of the mainstream and the tributaries of the Congo River,  
hydropower is better to be consumed locally because of the moderate exploitation scale,  
relatively high cost and short distance to the mining area. Electricity from these hydropower  
stations is mainly to meet local demands within 300 ~ 500 km, including loads in D.R.  
Congo, R. Congo, Central Africa, Cameroon etc.. Industries of Mining and agricultural  
product processing will be powered to develop in these countries, and the population without  
access to electricity will decrease. Centralized and large-scale exploitation of  
hydropower in the downstream Congo River. Once the local demands in Central Africa  
are met, abundant hydropower could be delivered inter-regionally to the West, Southern,  
East, and North Africa. Moreover, hydropower from the Congo River can also be  
transmitted inter-continentally to Europe and West Asia, to achieve efficient allocation.  
Table 4-1 Consumption Roles of Hydropower from Different Parts of the Congo River  
Parts and tributaries  
Consumption roles  
Mainly for outbound delivery, rest for  
local consumption  
Downstream of the mainstream  
Mainstream  
Katanga Province, Maniema Province, and  
Orientale Province of D.R. Congo  
Katanga Province of D.R. Congo  
Kasai Occidental Province, Kasai Oriental  
Province, and Bandundu Province of D.R.  
Congo  
Upstream of the mainstream  
Lualaba River  
Tributaries of the  
left bank  
Kasai River  
Central African Republic; Equateur  
Province and Orientale Province of D.R.  
Congo  
Southern Cameroon; Northern Congo  
Local consumption  
Oubangui River  
Sangha River  
Tributaries of the  
right bank  
Other medium and small-sized hydropower  
4.2 Local Consumption Market  
D.R. Congo is rich in mineral resources. Reserves of copper are about 75 million tons,  
which makes D.R. Congo the largest copper mineral production country in Africa and fifth  
largest in the world. Reserves of cobalt are about 4.5 million tons, accounting for 50% of  
global total. D.R. Congo is suitable for the practice of co-development model of "electricity,  
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mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade" for industrialization. Taking copper and cobalt  
industries as the leading sector, key mineral processing industrial parks will be constructed  
to coordinate the development of mining and mineral deep processing. On the basis of  
meeting local demands, products can also be exported globally, which can be integrated into  
the international industrial chain and trade. It is predicted that in 2030, total electricity  
consumption will reach 34 TWh. In 2050, total electricity consumption will be 140 TWh.  
Electricity from the downstream Congo River hydropower base can satisfy about 50% of  
the country's total demand, corresponding to the installed capacity of 14 ~ 16 GW. Except  
for the downstream Congo River hydropower base, the installed capacity of all hydropower  
in the river will be about 30 GW. Taking about 6 GW of biomass and other power sources,  
there will still be 15 GW of untapped hydropower potential in D.R. Congo to develop.  
R. Congo is rich in oil, gas and minerals. The proven reserves of oil are 1.6 billion  
barrels. The natural gas reserves are nearly 100 billion m3. In terms of minerals, iron ore  
reserves are about 25 billion tons. Congo can establish industrial parks relying on its own  
iron ore mines, potash mines and bauxite resources from Guinea or other countries, which  
in turn will drive the development of upstream and downstream industries in special  
economic zones, and gradually realize co-development of the whole industry chain of  
“electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade". Considering the high-speed  
development of electrolytic aluminum, steel industry, potash fertilizer industry in Congo  
and the needs to increase the accessibility to electricity, it is predicted that in 2030, total  
electricity consumption will reach 33 TWh, with the maximum load of 5 GW and the annual  
electricity consumption per capita of 4,500 kWh. In 2050, total electricity consumption will  
be 80 TWh, with the maximum load of 12 GW and the annual electricity consumption per  
capita of 7,000 kWh. Hydropower in the downstream of Congo River is utilized mainly to  
support electrolytic aluminum and steel industries with high utilization hours and  
requirement of reliability in the Pointe-Noire special economic zone. For long-term  
development, electricity from the downstream Congo River hydropower base consumed in  
Congo will be about 50 TWh, with the corresponding installed capacity of about 8 GW.  
4.3 Inter-regional Consumption Market  
West Africa. There are large power shortages in both wet and dry periods. In 2030,  
2040, and 2050, power shortage will be 16 GW, 32 GW, and 40 GW, respectively. These  
can be filled by hydropower in the downstream Congo River. The key countries for  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
electricity consumption in West Africa will be Nigeria, Guinea and Ghana. Southern  
Africa. In 2030, there will be a slight surplus of power in the Southern Africa in the wet  
period. The power shortage in the dry period will be 8 GW. In 2040 and 2050, power  
shortage will reach 13 GW and 21 GW, respectively, which forms the market space for  
consuming hydropower from the downstream Congo River. The key countries for electricity  
consumption in Southern Africa will be South Africa, Angola and Zambia. East Africa. In  
2030, 2040, and 2050, there will always be surpluses of electricity in East Africa, which will  
be 4 GW, 12 GW, and 10 GW, respectively. The key countries for electricity consumption  
in East Africa will be Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya. North Africa. In 2030, 2040, and  
2050, North Africa has electricity surpluses of 8 GW, 20 GW, and 18 GW, respectively. The  
key countries for electricity consumption in North Africa will be Egypt, Algeria and  
Morocco.  
4.4 Overall Transmission Scheme  
By 2060, the development of hydropower bases in the downstream Congo River, with  
a total installation capacity of 110 GW will be accomplished. Among them, 22 GW will be  
used to meet local demands in D.R. Congo and R. Congo; and 3 GW will be transmitted to  
neighboring countries, such as Cameroon, with a total inter-regional transmission capacity  
of 85 GW. Countries in West Africa, such as Nigeria, Guinea, and Ghana, will receive about  
36 GW of power; and countries in southern Africa, such as Zambia, Angola, and South  
Africa, will receive about 13 GW of power; countries in East Africa, such as Ethiopia and  
Kenya, will receive about 16 GW of power; 20 GW will be sent to countries in North Africa,  
such as Egypt and Morocco, and then be jointly regulated and sent to Europe with local solar  
power.  
By 2030, the installed generation capacity of hydropower bases in the downstream  
Congo River will be about 29.8 GW. Among them, 10.8 GW is for local consumption, 3  
GW for intra-region consumption, and 16 GW for inter-region consumption, mainly the  
West Africa and the Southern Africa. 12 GW of Power will be sent to countries in West  
Africa: 8 GW to Guinea and 4 GW to Nigeria. 4 GW of Power will be sent to countries in  
Southern Africa: 3 GW to Zambia and 4 GW to Angola.  
By 2040, the installed generation capacity of hydropower bases in the downstream  
Congo River will be about 54 GW. Among them, 18 GW will be for local consumption, 3  
GW for intra-region consumption, and 33 GW for inter-region consumption, mainly the  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
West Africa and the Southern Africa. 28 GW of Power will be sent to countries in West  
Africa: 8 GW to Guinea and 8 GW to Nigeria. The capacity for SouthernAfrica will increase  
to 5 GW.  
By 2050, the installed generation capacity of hydropower bases in the downstream  
Congo River will be about 95 GW. Among them, 24 GW will be for local consumption, 4  
GW for intra-regional consumption, and 67 GW for inter-regional consumption, the  
increment of which will be sent to North Africa and East Africa. The capacity for West  
Africa will increase to 36 GW，including 8 GW more to Guinea; 8 GW will be sent to  
Ethiopia in East Africa, and 10 GW to Morocco in North Africa.  
By 2060, the scale of inter-regional power flow will be 85 GW, with 10 GW more for  
Egypt in North Africa, and 8 GW more for Kenya in East Africa.  
1000  
1000  
800  
800  
400  
800  
800  
800  
800  
200  
300  
800  
Figure 4-1 Scale of Inter-regional Power Delivery of Congo Hydropower（10 MW）  
The hydropower bases in the downstream Congo River is about 300~500 km away  
from intra-regional load centers in Central Africa and adjacent countries. Intra-regionally, it  
is advisable to adopt AC transmission mode so as to give full play to the flexibility of AC  
transmission in integration, transmission and accommodation. 765/400 kV AC and UHV  
DC are adopted to supply the intra-region load centers. The scale of inter-regional  
hydropower transmission in the downstream Congo River is large. The transmission  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
distance is as long as 2000 ~ 4500 km, and the longest transmission distance to North Africa  
is more than 6000 km. UHV DC technology is used for the inter-regional hydropower  
transmission in the lower Congo river. Inter-regionally, 11 EHV/UHV DC transmission  
channels are used to transmit electricity to various regions in Africa.  
To Europe  
Morocco  
Egypt  
North  
Africa  
West  
Africa  
Guinea  
Nigeria  
Ghana  
Ehiopia  
East  
Central  
Africa  
Cameroon  
Africa  
D.R. Congo  
R. Congo  
Kindu  
Kenya  
Pointe-Noire  
Pioka  
Inga  
Matadi  
Lubumbashi  
Legend  
±500kV Converter Station  
±660kV Converter Station  
±800kV Converter Station  
±1100kV Converter Station  
400/500kV AC Line  
Zambia  
Southern  
Africa  
±500kV DC Line  
±660kV DC Line  
765kV AC Line  
±800kV DC Line  
South  
Africa  
1000kV AC Line  
±1100kV DC Line  
Figure 4-2 Overall Transmission Pattern of the Hydropower in Downstream Congo River  
4.5 Construction Sequence  
Priority should be given to the development of Inga Hydropower Station, which will  
be implemented by stages and completed before 2050. At the same time, Pioka Hydropower  
Station will also be developed by stages, and completed by 2050. The development of  
Matadi Hydropower Station will be the last, which will be completed by 2060.  
Hydropower in the upper and middle reaches of the Congo River and its  
tributaries: the upper reaches of the mainstream and the Lualaba River are close to the  
southern and eastern mining areas of D.R. Congo, and the demand for power load is large  
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in the near and medium term. It is advised to jointly consider the sequence of development  
and transmission of the hydropower in the downstream, and consider hydropower projects  
with better development and construction conditions as priorities. For towns around the  
Kaisai River and the Sanga River, the demand will be small in the near and medium term,  
but will gradually increase in the long term. Besides, as some of the river sections are  
boundary rivers, an orderly development in accordance with the demand growth will be  
appropriate. The population along the Ubangi River is sparse with rather small demand, and  
most of the main river sections are boundary rivers. Therefore, the hydropower development  
should be in harmony with the shipping demand as well.  
By 2030, Intra-regionally, focus will be put on Inga, D. R. Congo-Pointe Noire, Congo  
±500 kV DC transmission project, The east-west transmission corridor of Inga in D. R.  
Congo, and the Inga-Matadi-Soyo-Pointe Noire AC transmission project. Inter-regionally,  
the focus will be put on the construction of three DC projects, i.e. the Inga-Lubumbashi-  
Zambia, the Inga-Guinea I, and Pioka-Nigeria, with a total transmission capacity of 15GW.  
The Pioka-Pointe Noire transmission project will send Pioka hydropower to the special  
economic zone in Pointe Noire, to meet the industrial demands such as electrolytic  
aluminum, steel and port processing. The length of the double-circuit 765 kV AC line is  
about 350 km, with a transmission capacity of about 4 GW. The Inga-Lubumbashi-  
Zambia DC transmission project will bring the Inga hydropower to the Lubumbashi  
copper, cobalt industrial parks in D. R. Congo, and Zambia copper industrial parks. The  
length of the 3 terminal ±800 kV DC line is about 4,500 km, and the transmission capacity  
is about 8 GW, with 5 GW to Lubumbashi and 3 GW to Lusaka. The annual transmission  
capacity will be about 48 TWh.The Inga-Guinea I DC transmission project will bring the  
Inga hydropower to the eastern iron mine area and western bauxite mine area in Guinea.  
The length of the 3 terminal ±800 kV DC line is about 4,500 km, with a transmission  
capacity of about 8GW, and an annual transmission capacity of about 48 TWh. Pioka-  
Nigeria DC transmission project will send Pioka hydropower to the Nigerian economic  
center Lagos to meet the industrial demands of steel, construction machinery, and  
automotive. The length of the ±660 kV EHV DC line is about 2,000 km, with a transmission  
capacity of about 4 GW, and an annual transmission capacity of about 24 TWh.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Northern Africa  
Western  
Africa  
Gu
Central  
Africa  
a  
Eastern Africa  
go  
iok
Pointe  
Noire  
a  
Lubumbashi  
Legend  
±800kV Convertor Station  
mbia  
±660kV Convertor Station  
±500kV Convertor  
Station  
Southern Africa  
765kV Substation  
400kV Substation  
±800kV DC Line  
±660kV DC Line  
±500kV DC Line  
765kV AC Line  
400kV AC Line  
Figure 4-3 The Hydropower Transmission Projects in Downstream Congo River by 2030  
By 2040, Intra-regionally, focus will be put on Inga-Kindu ±660 kV EHV DC  
transmission project. Inter-regionally, focus will be put on the construction of two DC  
projects. The Inga-Nigeria DC transmission project will send Inga hydropower to Benin  
in eastern Nigeria, supply power to Locoja iron and steel industrial park, Aba textile  
industrial park and Enugu construction machinery industrial park through the 765/330 kV  
main grid. The length of the ±800 kV UHV DC line is about 2000 km, with a transmission  
capacity of about 8 GW, and and its annually transmitted electricity of about 48 TWh. The  
Pioka-Ghana DC project will send Pioka hydropower to Kumasi in Ghana, and supply  
power to electrolytic aluminum industrial parks in Awaso and Nyinahin, and iron and steel  
industrial parks in Cote d'Ivoire through 765 kV east-west transmission channel in West  
Africa. The length of the ±800 kV UHV DC line is about 2,800 km, with its transmission  
capacity of about 8 GW, and its annually transmitted electricity of about 48 TWh.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Northern Africa  
Western  
Africa  
Guinea  
Central  
Africa  
Gha
Nigeria  
Eastern Africa  
Pioka  
R. Congo  
D. R. Conga  
Pointe  
Noire  
Inga  
Lubumbashi  
Legend  
Zambia  
±800kV Convertor Station  
±660kV Convertor Station  
±500kV Convertor Station  
Southern Africa  
765kV Substation  
400kV Substation  
±800kV DC Line  
±660kV DC Line  
±500kV DC Line  
765kV AC Line  
400kV AC Line  
Figure 4-4 The Hydropower Transmission Projects in Downstream Congo River by 2040  
By 2050, focus will be put on four DC projects, Inga-South Africa, Inga-Morocco,  
Pioka-Guinea, Pioka-Ethiopia. The total number of inter-regional DC transmission projects  
will be nine, with a total transmission capacity of 65GW. The Inga-South African DC  
project will send the Inga hydropower to Cape Town in South Africa, to supply power to  
the petrochemical and mechanical manufacturing industrial parks and meet the demands  
after the gradual decommissioning of the coal-fired generating units. The length of the ±800  
kV UHV DC line is about 3800 km, with its transmission capacity of about 8GW, and its  
annually transmitted electricity of about 48 TWh. The Inga-Morocco DC transmission  
project will send the Inga hydropower to Zag in Morocco. The length of the ±1100 kV UHV  
DC line is about 6500 km, with a transmission capacity of about 10GW. Among them, 2GW  
is for local demands in Morocco, and the rest 8 GW will mix with the power of solar power  
base in North Africa through Morocco-Spain, and Algeria-France-Germany DC channels.  
The Pioka-Guinea DC transmission project will send Pioka hydropower to Boke in  
Guinea, to supply power for electrolytic aluminum industrial parks in Boke, to meet  
Guinea's production needs of 40 million tons of alumina and 6 million tons of electrolytic  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
aluminum. The length of the ±800 kV UHV DC line is about 4,500 km, with its transmission  
capacity of about 8 GW, and its annually transmitted electricity of about 48 TWh. The  
Pioka-Ethiopia DC transmission project will send Pioka hydropower to Addis Ababa in  
Ethiopia through the 765 kV vertical transmission channel in East Africa. The benefits of  
hydropower in the downstream of the Congo River are brought into full play to meet the  
long-term demands of manufacturing industry in East Africa and improve the utilization  
efficiency of the built transmission channels in East Africa. The length of the ±800 kV UHV  
DC line is about 4000 km, with its transmission capacity of about 8GW, and its annually  
transmitted electricity of about 48 TWh.  
To Europe  
Morocco  
Northern Africa  
Western  
Africa  
Guinea  
entral  
frica  
Nigeria  
Eastern Africa  
Kindu  
Pioka  
R. Congo  
Pointe  
Noire  
D. R. Conga  
Inga  
Lubumbashi  
Legend  
±1100kV Convertor Station  
Zambia  
±800kV Convertor Station  
±660kV Convertor Station  
±500kV Convertor Station  
Southern Africa  
765kV Substation  
400kV Substation  
±1100kV DC Line  
±800kV DC Line  
±660kV DC Line  
±500kV DC Line  
765kV AC Line  
uth  
rica  
400kV AC Line  
Figure 4-5 The Hydropower Transmission Projects in Downstream Congo River by 2050  
By 2060, focus will be put on two DC projects, Matadi-Egypt and Matadi-Kenya. The  
total number of inter-regional DC transmission projects will be eleven, with a total  
transmission capacity of 83GW. The Matadi-Egypt DC transmission project will send  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
Matadi hydropower to Minya in Egypt, to complement with the power of solar power bases  
in Minya and Aswan across time and space, to meet the demands of Egypt's long-term  
development. The length of the ±1,100 kV UHV DC line is about 5,500 km, with its  
transmission capacity of about 8 GW, and its annually transmitted electricity of about 60  
TWh. The Matadi-Kenya DC transmission project will send Matadi hydropower to  
Nairobi in Kenya through the 765/400 kV grid in East Africa, providing power security for  
the long-term development of Kenya and Tanzania. The length of the ±800 kV UHV DC  
line is about 3,100 km, with its transmission capacity of about 8 GW, and its annually  
transmitted electricity of about 48 TWh.  
To Europe  
Morocco  
Northern Africa  
Western  
Africa  
Guinea  
Central  
Africa  
Nigeria  
Ethiopia  
Ghana  
Eastern Africa  
Kenya  
Kindu  
R. Congo  
Pioka  
Pointe  
Noire  
D. R. Conga  
Inga  
Mata
Lubumbashi  
Legend  
±1100kV Convertor Station  
Zambia  
±800kV Convertor Station  
±660kV Convertor Station  
Southern Africa  
±500kV Convertor Station  
765kV Substation  
400kV Substation  
±1100kV DC Line  
±800kV DC Line  
±660kV DC Line  
±500kV DC Line  
765kV AC Line  
South  
Africa  
400kV AC Line  
Figure 4-6 The Hydropower Transmission Projects in Downstream Congo River by 2060  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
5 Project Investment Estimation and  
Economic Analysis  
5.1 Investment Estimation  
Investment in hydropower generation and corresponding transmission projects in the  
downstream Congo River includes investment in power stations and corresponding  
transmission lines. Apreliminary analysis of the investment scale and economic benefits has  
been carried out regarding the installation of 35 GW of the Pioka hydropower station, 60  
GW of the Grand Inga hydropower station and 15 GW of the Matadi hydropower station.  
Table 5-1 Investment Estimation of Cascaded Hydropower Projects of  
Downstream Congo River  
Generation  
Investment  
（Billion  
Transmission  
Investment  
（Billion  
Total  
Investment  
（Billion  
Capacity  
（GW）  
Project  
USD）  
55~70  
USD）  
23.5  
USD）  
78.5~93.5  
96.5~102.5  
44.0~50.0  
219.0~246.0  
Pioka  
Grand Inga  
Matadi  
35  
60  
58~64  
38.5  
15  
27~33  
17.0  
Total  
110  
140~167  
79.0  
5.2 Pricing Evaluation  
Pioka Hydropower Station. Feed-in Tariff of 4.2~5.2 US cents/kWh. Grand Inga  
Hydropower Station. Feed-in Tariff of 2.8~3.3 US cents/kWh. Matadi Hydropower  
Station. Feed-in Tariff of 4.8~5.7 US cents/kWh. The transmission price of hydropower of  
the downstream Congo River to West Africa is about 1.3~2.5 US cents/kWh，and the price  
to Southern Africa is about 1.5~2.0 US cents/kWh，and the price to East Africa is about  
1.7~2.1 US cents/kWh，and the price to North Africa is about 2.3~2.6 US cents/kWh.  
5.3 Competitiveness Analysis  
The price at the receiving end in West Africa is about 4.1~7.7 US cents/kWh，and the  
price gap is 2~6 US cents/kWh. The price at the receiving end in South Africa is about  
4.3~5.3 US cents/kWh，and the price gap is about 2~5 US cents/kWh. The price at the  
receiving end in East Africa is about 5.9~7.4 US cents/kWh，and the price gap is about 2~5  
US cents/kWh. The price at the receiving end in North Africa is about 5.4~8 US cents/kWh，  
and the price gap is about 2~5 US cents/kWh.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
6 Comprehensive Benefits of Hydropower  
Development in the Congo River Basin  
6.1 Economic Benefits  
Achieving clean, sustainable and reliable energy and power supply. Accelerating  
the large-scale and high-efficiency development of hydropower in the downstream Congo  
River, will play the role of hydropower “regulator” to support the safe operation of high  
proportion wind power and solar power generation, and will also achieve the energy clean  
energy complementary, which will meet Africa's energy and electricity demand of economic  
and social development in a clean and green way. Stimulating economic growth. The total  
investment in the development and delivery of hydropower bases in the lower reaches of the  
Congo River will be approximately USD 219-246 billion, which will effectively boost  
regional economic growth. Reducing development costs. The inter-regional delivery price  
is 2~5 cents/kW lower than the target market power price. Thus, the annual electricity cost  
can be reduced by more than USD 20 billion, and the benefits are very significant.  
Increasing foreign exchange earnings. By 2050, Africa's electricity import and export  
trade will earn more than USD 17 billion. Total exports of manufactured minerals in African  
will exceed USD 100 billion.  
6.2 Social Benefits  
Making electricity available to all. With the large-scale development of hydropower  
in the Congo River Basin and the sharp drop in average electricity prices, by 2050, electricity  
will be available to all. Improving health. The large-scale development and delivery of  
hydropower in the lower reaches of the Congo River will effectively reduce the pollution  
problems caused by fossil energy production and use, and significantly reduce the number  
of diseases and deaths caused by energy pollution. Promoting employment. By 2050, more  
than 15 million new jobs will be created. Getting rid of poverty. The construction of  
hydropower projects in the Congo River Basin can not only transform the advantages of  
hydropower resources into economic advantages and effectively promote economic  
development, but also play a role in flood control and disaster mitigation; the development  
of irrigation, tourism, fisheries and so on can realize the increase of residents' economic  
income and the improvement of ecological environment, and fundamentally solve the  
problems of economic development imbalance and poverty.  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
6.3 Environmental Benefits  
Reducing environmental pollution. With the sharp decline in the scale of fossil  
energy development and utilization, air and groundwater pollution, geological damage, land  
and marine ecological damage caused by mining, processing, transportation, storage,  
combustion, etc. will be increasingly reduced. Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine  
particles emissions can be reduced by 1.8 million, 2 million and 400,000 tons respectively,  
and the ecological environment will be protected and restored. Reducing greenhouse gas  
(GHG) emissions. Hydropower development in the Congo River basin will significantly  
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. By 2050, the downstream hydropower  
base of the Congo River will generate 600 TWh/year, equivalent to 550 million tons of  
carbon dioxide emissions per year.  
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7 Financing Mechanisms and Support  
Measures  
7.1 Financing Mechanisms  
Participation of Multiple Subjects. During the project planning phase, the project  
developers and the investors jointly design the project financing structures. By discussing  
with government departments and the development financial institutions, various support  
shall be strived to obtain, such as government policy support; Through the signing of  
completion agreements, power purchase agreements and other commercial contracts with  
the contractor and electricity users, the quality of the project and the purchase and sale of  
electricity shall be ensured. During the project development phase, the project developers,  
development financial institutions and commercial investment institutions jointly  
participate in the project financing evaluation and risk assessment, confirm a reasonable  
financing structure, and fix the financing close. The comprehensive using of  
policy/development financial institutions supports the investment of commercial institutions  
and improves the level of project income. During the project construction and operation  
phase, project developers and operators participate in project construction management and  
review, analyze and evaluate the operation plan, system scale and workflow by establishing  
long-term and stable relationships with government agencies. The project investment  
institutions should be deeply involved in the implementation, and carry out the funds  
recovery, refinancing and cost structure adjustment based on the current project process and  
in accordance with the contracts.  
Optimization of Financing Structures. The hydropower development and delivery  
projects in Congo River basin need to set up multi-level financing structures, which mainly  
includes equity, subordinated debt, and senior debt. The risk level is reduced in turn. Due to  
the differences in financing cost, risk preference and tenors among different financing  
sources, the financing structure optimization needs to fully consider the characteristics of  
financing source, project cycle, expected return, credit guarantee mechanism, etc. Besides,  
it makes big sense to pay much attention to the combination of public financing and market-  
oriented financing. The project developer invests a certain percentage of capital and  
participates as a shareholder with the public utilities and other investors.  
Policy/development financial institutions participate in investments, share income and share  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
risks through the provision of concessional loans, convertible bonds, subprime loans, etc.  
The Syndication, which is composed of commercial banks and other market-oriented  
financial institutions, participates in the investment by means of commercial loans.  
Application of Capital Market Tools. Specific capital market tools such as bonds and  
Asset Backed Securities are now widely used in mature capital markets. Hydropower  
Development and distribution projects in the Congo River Basin could explore the  
application of such tools to unlock large-scale finances. Regarding to the long-term  
investment, the project bonds could be considered in the project financing, which rely on  
the project's own profitability for credit support. And the priority is given to issuing green  
bonds, which has low costs. During the maturity stage of the project, considering the  
refinancing and capital flow, asset securitization tools can be used to flexibly circulate in  
the capital market based on the future stable cash flow of the project. It can also provide exit  
channels for early stage investors, and greatly enhance project financing capabilities.  
7.2 Support Measures  
Government optimizes domestic industrial planning and policies. Combine the  
domestic industrial development plan with the overall plan for hydropower development  
in the downstream of Congo River. Further open up the electricity market, reduce the  
threshold for investment, promote electricity price reform, optimize electricity price  
structure, and design specific reform principles and methods. It is also needed to encourage  
private sector investment to develop and support long-term power purchase policies, and  
propose protection policies about active land, immigration and construction. By improving  
power development policies such as the on-grid tariff subsidy mechanism, the efficient  
cooperation between all parties is promoted. Improving financial investment policies. It  
is an important way to optimize government credit enhancement or guarantee mechanisms  
and innovate government financing methods. Improving the tax structure, proposing tax  
incentives, and achieving structural tax cuts in the power industry are also needed. It is  
better to build an efficient and stable foreign exchange system by reducing foreign  
exchange controls, and improve the cooperation mechanism for project development such  
as public-private partnerships to provide institutional guarantee for the cooperative  
development of government, state-owned enterprises and private investors. Improving  
investment protection mechanisms. It is important to establish and improve investor  
protection laws to effectively protect the assets of entities, improve the international  
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Research on Hydropower Development and Delivery in Congo River  
investment and financing legal arbitration mechanism to solve the investment disputes of  
multinational projects, and establish the international investment insurance system  
gradually.  
Multilateral agencies coordinate the construction of regional cooperation  
mechanisms. In order to promote hydropower development and delivery projects in the  
downstream of Congo River, multilateral agencies can use commercial mechanisms to  
coordinate the formulation of unified trade and customs tariffs, and promote the free flow  
of people, assets, labor, and capital. Multilateral agencies should improve investment  
protection and dispute resolution mechanisms, strengthen project risk assessment and risk  
warning, establish investment debt default assistance mechanisms, promote anti-corruption  
and anti-commercial bribery, and improve the openness of credit information in the region.  
Promoting the establishment of the "Take-or-Pay" mechanism. This mechanism is  
adopted for important contracts such as long-term power purchase agreements, which can  
enhance the income stability of the transmission projects, ensure the efficiency of electricity  
usage in the mining projects, improve the predictability of costs, and promote the smooth  
implementation of the project. Unifying regional investment and financing policies.  
Multilateral institutions coordinate countries use or optimize international general rules,  
such as international financial accounting standards, investment protection and international  
investment arbitration, Basel Accord on banking supervision, etc., which can guide project  
investment or project financing. When the general rules do not correspond to local  
conditions, the multilateral agencies may initiate new policies. Enriching policy-based  
financial instruments. Multilateral organizations use technology, financial assistance,  
project preparation funds, policy loans or other innovative financial instruments to promote  
project development, improve project financing performance, and attract capital from  
private sector.  
41