The Inga 3 Transmission Interconnector will undertake feasibility studies for a high-voltage direct-current scheme capable of delivering 5,000 MW from the Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa through Zambia, Zimbabwe and/or Botswana.
The transmission scheme depends on the final scale, design, offtake structure and development timetable of Inga 3. Current World Bank support is directed to the generation programme's technical, institutional, environmental and social foundations.
The project covers feasibility studies for the design, development, operation and maintenance of a high-voltage direct-current transmission scheme associated with the Inga 3 Low Head Project. The studies will cover the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and the transit countries and will address land rights, land development, environmental authorisation and commercial arrangements.
The proposed HVDC corridor would require coordinated planning across the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe and/or Botswana and South Africa. Preparation must define the generation injection point, route, converter stations, transit arrangements, land and environmental requirements, wheeling and operating rules, long-term power-purchase commitments and financing and ownership structure. The World Bank states that Inga 3 is not yet fixed to one specific design, site or scale and that further technical, social, environmental, financial and legal studies are required. Accordingly, the 5,000 MW transmission concept remains a baseline proposal.
1. Undertake detailed feasibility studies for a 5,000 MW, ~3,000 km HVDC transmission line from DRC to South Africa. 2. Enable the export of clean, renewable hydropower from the Inga 3 site to support regional energy security and the clean energy transition. 3. Establish a framework for power trading and market integration across five SADC countries (DRC, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa). 4. Decongest existing transmission corridors in Southern Africa and improve grid reliability. 5. Support regional economic development by providing a stable, high-capacity power supply.