Kinshasa, June 22nd, 2025 (CPA). – The Inga 3 project was presented on Saturday during a dinner hosted for members of the G7 panel accredited in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Gombe, a commune north of the capital Kinshasa, as a ‘global opportunity’ that calls for collective mobilization of all stakeholders.
‘Our message today is simple: the Grand Inga Project is a global opportunity. It calls for collective mobilization, a strategic alliance between states, international financial institutions and private investors willing to participate in a concrete solution to the energy challenges of tomorrow,’ said André Wameso, deputy chief of staff to the head of state. ‘The Inga 3 Project, the first phase of Grand Inga, goes far beyond an infrastructure project. It embodies our conviction that clean, abundant and competitive energy is a global common good, at the crossroads of climate imperatives, sustainable industrialization and the overhaul of international supply chains,’ he said. According to the source, the Democratic Republic of Congo is ready to play its full role in this dynamic. It intends to do so in accordance with climate commitments, with reliable partners, based on rigorous, predictable, transparent and ethical governance. Furthermore, André Wameso said that access to clean and abundant energy is seen as a sustainable solution to curb the massive deforestation of equatorial forests, which are threatened by the intensive use of firewood.
A view of members of ADPI-DRC, the World Bank and the diplomatic corps accredited in the DRC
The Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project (ADPI-DRC), which organized the meeting, said that this project is at the crossroads of global issues. The Congo, rich in natural resources and biodiversity, is currently positioning itself as a key player in the global energy transition. ‘The Inga 3 project will provide the energy needed for the sustainable exploitation of strategic minerals such as cobalt, copper and lithium, which are essential for the manufacture of batteries and green technologies,’ said Bob Mabiala Mvumbi, CEO of ADPI-RDC. After convincing the World Bank to grant a loan to finance this mega-project, ADPI-RDC is expected to set the bar very high by mobilizing the world’s major economic powers. The purpose of this diplomatic lunch was to present the DRC’s strategic vision for the development of the Inga site, highlighting the project’s progress and its structuring role for Africa and beyond; to emphasize the project’s alignment with global priorities in terms of sustainable investment, green infrastructure and energy security; and to obtain the active support of diplomatic representatives to include the Grand Inga project on the agenda of the G7 Summit scheduled for June 2025 in Alberta, Canada.
Requirements for completing the Inga 3 mega-project
After many years of reflection and analysis on the implementation of this mega-project, experts believe that several requirements must be met. During his presentation, the CEO of ADPI-DRC outlined the various steps required to achieve the expected results to the G7 diplomatic corps. ‘For Inga 3, we need around 4,000 to 6,000 workers. We’re not talking about traditional workers with shovels to prepare the concrete. No, we need professional welders; we need experts to pump concrete; we need experts to do the topography and everything else that goes with it,’ said the CEO of ADPI-RDC.
‘If we launch Inga in its current state, we will certainly have Inga 3, but we will not have maximized the benefits. (…), we don’t want Inga without maximum benefits,’ he said, before emphasizing that « it is not interesting to have a power plant that is running and a poor population. A very fine piece of engineering that will be a source of technological pride, but a population that has not benefited from it. » Pillar 2 of the project concerns the processing and implementation of community infrastructure for 500 communities around the Inga site, revealed Bob Mabiala. He estimated that for the second phase, a growth corridor needs to be developed from the Atlantic coast to Katanga. But for the first phase, the focus will be on working from the Atlantic coast to Kinshasa. The objective is to develop local energy consumption centers. The third point will focus on skills development. ‘We want Congolese people to be trained and equipped to meet all the challenges that await them,’ concluded the ADPI CEO. The ADPI is a specialized agency attached to the Presidency of the Republic, created in 2015. It is responsible for the promotion, development and implementation of the ‘Grand Inga’ hydroelectric program, with clearly defined missions: to develop and implement all promotional and communication activities.