NGOs and US Congress shun DR Congo’s Inga scheme, threatening big hydropower projects

With the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) lining up behind a public/private partnership structure, it seemed possible that the elusive Inga dam development – now promoted by the African Union as a cornerstone of its initiative to overcome sub-Saharan Africa’s gaping electricity supply deficit – might finally happen. Concerted opposition to big-ticket hydroelectric power schemes led by International Rivers and other advocacy groups seemed to have been overcome, as reflected in ambitious plans for the 4,800MW Inga III. But in recent months that opposition has re-emerged as a potent force, again putting Inga III into question.