Questions and Answers on World Bank Support for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Grand Inga Development Program

What is Inga?
Inga is a unique site on the Congo River, about 230 kilometers from the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and 40 to 150 kilometers from ports on the west coast of Africa. Massive and relatively constant water flows, a drop of about 97 meters due to rapids, and a bend in the river below the rapids, produce tremendous energy (up to 42 GW) and could enable a multitude of off-river diversions and power stations. Two hydropower plants (Inga-1, built in 1978, and Inga-2, built in 1982) have an installed capacity of 1,775 MW though they currently operate at about half this capacity and are under rehabilitation. A third dam - Inga 3 - is under consideration by the Government of DRC and could generate between 3,500 and 11,000 MW depending on which design is chosen, with widely differing environmental, social, and financial costs and benefits.

How was the World Bank previously involved and why did it cancel its support in 2016?
In 2014, the World Bank Board approved a $73.1-million IDA grant for the Inga-3 Basse Chute (BC) and Mid-Size Hydropower Development Technical Assistance Project, with $22.4 million of parallel co-financing from the African Development Bank. The financing supported a flexible suite of technical assistance for Inga and other mid-size hydropower sites, including strategic advice to the Government of DRC, complementary studies, capacity building, and institutional strengthening. The Bank withdrew from the project in 2016 due to strategic differences with the government. Only 6% of the grant had been disbursed at that time.

Why is the World Bank re-engaging on this topic in 2024?
Many things have changed since 2016. In the context of accelerating climate change and the global transition away from fossil fuels, the renewable energy potential at Inga represents an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference at scale. With its large forests, hydropower resources and mineral reserves, the DRC has the ambition of becoming a "climate solutions country." Inga's vast hydropower potential makes it possible to supply electricity both for domestic and regional uses. About 80% of people still lack access to electricity in the DRC and there is growing demand for energy from the mining sector and neighboring countries. The World Bank is eager to support the DRC's vision of Inga as an integrated development program that goes beyond the hydropower site and delivers broad benefits for energy access, forest protection, local area development, green mineral value chains, infrastructure and connectivity, and regional power trade. At the same time, the Bank recognizes that there will be many challenges associated with further developing Inga and hopes to contribute to finding solutions that benefit the Congolese people the most.

What kind of assistance will the World Bank provide?
The Government of DRC has asked the World Bank and other partners for assistance in developing the Inga hydropower scheme as part of a broader economic transformation strategy for the country. The World Bank recognizes the scale of both the opportunities and challenges associated with developing Inga's unique potential in ways that benefit the country broadly and sustainably, while also realizing some of the regional and global benefits that the appropriate development of Inga would bring. Based on this context, and on lessons learned from previous engagements in large transformative infrastructure projects, the World Bank has agreed to work with the government, alongside other development partners, to design a long-term 'Grand Inga Development Program' that would help prepare the DRC for the opportunities and challenges associated with developing Grand Inga, and support a range of studies designed to better understand the economic, financial, technical, environmental and social issues that will need to be addressed for the successful long-term development of Inga.

What is the timeline for the World Bank's support?
While the World Bank is already discussing with the government a set of options regarding the design of a long-term 'Grand Inga Development Program', decisions on World Bank financing will be taken by the World Bank's Board of Directors in the first half of 2025. Because of the complexity of the site and amount of foundational work required to make Inga a success (such as investing in education and skills and strengthening governance and economic management), World Bank financing for Inga and complementary investments are likely to come in phases over a 10-year period.