The Inga 3 hydropower development on the Congo River at Inga, DRC — with a proposed capacity of 11,000MW at a cost of approximately $18bn — would be the largest hydropower plant in Africa and one of the largest in the world. South Africa has committed to purchasing 5,000MW and Nigeria 3,000MW of the proposed output. The DRC government is actively re-promoting the project in 2026, and fresh investor interest has emerged following the DRC-US minerals partnership. The full Grand Inga vision would develop up to 40,000MW on the Congo River — the most powerful electricity development potential in human history.
Project Details
Key Issues / Risks
The project has been in development, stalled and revived repeatedly since the 1970s. The previous AEH/AEHI concession was terminated by the DRC government. World Bank withdrew from advisory role in 2016. No FID has ever been reached. The 5,000MW South Africa offtake commitment is a bilateral political agreement but no commercial power purchase agreement exists. The DRC's ability to develop and operate infrastructure of this scale and cost is a fundamental question.
Latest Development (Detail)
In 2026, the DRC government has been actively promoting Inga 3 in the context of its US minerals partnership (the DRC-US Minerals Agreement signed in 2025) and growing Western interest in DRC's critical minerals. No FID or financing breakthrough has been announced as of August 2026.
What Happens Next
A new developer/concession framework — the DRC needs to appoint a credible lead developer and secure anchor offtake agreements before any financing can be assembled.
Commercial Opportunity
If it ever reaches FID, Inga 3 would be the largest construction programme on the African continent by value and the largest hydropower project in the world.