The government of Congo-Brazzaville has announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a Chinese company to initiate a hydroelectric project and dam in the region, set to begin next year.
The MOU, signed with China Overseas, aims to develop the Sounda hydroelectric project, which is expected to cost approximately $9.4 billion. Officials indicated that the project will have a capacity ranging from 600 MW to 800 MW, with construction projected to finish by 2030.
In 2011, China financed the construction of the Imboulou Dam and powerhouse, located north of Brazzaville, which has a capacity of 120 MW, making it the largest hydroelectric project in the country to date. Power outages are frequent in Congo-Brazzaville, particularly affecting its two largest cities, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, where residents experience outages almost daily.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), hydroelectric power accounted for 22% of the country’s electricity generation in 2021, amounting to 0.90 TWh, while the remaining 78% was sourced from natural gas.
The capacity from hydropower remained consistent between 2013 and 2022, despite a total increase in electricity capacity of 0.3 GW, mainly from fossil fuels. In 2021, hydropower represented 25% of Congo-Brazzaville’s total installed electricity capacity. As of early 2024, the country operated three hydropower plants and possesses significant hydropower potential estimated at 3.9 GW, of which only 5% has been harnessed.
The World Bank estimated that in 2021, approximately 50% of the Congolese population had access to electricity, reflecting a 10% increase since 2010.
