Canada-based Ivanhoe Mines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with La Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL) – the Democratic Republic of Congo’s state-owned power utility – to upgrade unit 5 of the Inga II hydropower facility.

With four of the turbines already refurbished, the upgrade to unit 5 is expected to add an additional 162MW of hydropower capacity to the existing 1,424MW facility.  

The upgrade will enable the supply of electricity to Ivanhoe’s Kamoa-Kakula Mine, providing a reliable and environmentally friendly power source for operations. Additionally, electricity surplus will be fed directly into the DRC’s national grid, expanding electricity access and increasing capacity country-wide.   

“The Democratic Republic of the Congo is blessed with extraordinary hydroelectric potential. It is imperative to develop this potential because hydropower is clean, reliable and renewable. It is undoubtedly the most suitable type of electricity to support our country’s long-term development priorities,” stated H.E. President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

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Source: AfricaOilandPower