Subj : World's biggest hydro site can produce as much electricity as 88
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Mon Oct 27 2025 19:45:07

World's biggest hydro site can produce as much electricity as 88 nuclear 
reactors - and now wants to attract more AI data centres

Date:
Mon, 27 Oct 2025 19:36:00 +0000

Description:
Congo seeks to expand the Inga hydro complex to power AI tools and data 
centers amid ongoing funding and governance hurdles.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Congos 
Inga complex holds unrealized power potential for Africas digital expansion 
The projects success depends on private capital and strong governance reforms 
World Bank funding signals renewed faith in Africas large-scale hydro 
projects 

The Democratic Republic of Congo aims to use the vast Inga hydroelectric 
complex to power next-generation AI tools and large-scale data center 
infrastructure. 

Government officials argue that the site is already recognized as the worlds 
largest hydro resource and could support Africas growing digital economy if 
it attracts the right mix of investment and regulation. 

The Inga site on the Congo River has a theoretical capacity of 44 gigawatts, 
enough to power 88 nuclear reactors, but it currently produces less than 2 
gigawatts due to underdevelopment and aging infrastructure. A massive project 
with unrealized potential 

Plans to expand the complex date back more than four decades, with multiple 
phases under the Grand Inga project still unrealized. 

The next stage, known as Inga III, is designed to add about 11 gigawatts of 
capacity at a projected cost exceeding $20 billion. 

Officials say the government is drafting an Inga Law to provide fiscal and 
regulatory clarity. 

This law aims to make the site more attractive to private partners capable of 
managing both design and construction. 

Momentum around Inga III has increased as the nations mining industry faces 
growing energy shortages. 

The World Bank has pledged $1 billion to advance the project, including an 
initial $250 million installment in 2025, and has also promised to use its 
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency to help reduce risk and draw in 
private capital. 

Congolese officials see this mix of public and private financing as vital to 
turning long-standing plans into functional power generation. 

However, such partnerships have a mixed record in Africa, often stalling over 
transparency, procurement, and governance concerns. 

Although uncertain, Congos proposal aligns with a broader trend linking 
renewable power projects with the surge in AI computing. 

Advocates say that Ingas water resources and geographic position could offer 
both abundant energy and natural cooling advantages. 

Yet until construction advances and regulatory structures stabilize, the 
vision of powering Africas digital transformation through the Inga complex 
remains more promise than proof. 

Via Data Center Knowledge 

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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/worlds-biggest-hydro-site-can-produce-as-much-el
ectricity-as-88-nuclear-reactors-and-wants-to-attract-more-ai-data-centres


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