The Democratic Republic of Congo is positioning its massive Inga hydroelectric complex as a key source of affordable, renewable energy for data centres, in light of the surging global demand driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Currently, Inga’s existing facilities produce less than 2 gigawatts of power, a small fraction of its potential 44 gigawatts, according to Bloomberg.
Congo’s government sees a strategic opportunity to partner with data centre operators to unlock this vast capacity. Bob Mabiala Mvumbi, head of Congo’s Inga Development Agency, highlighted that with nearly twice the capacity of China’s Three Gorges Dam, abundant cooling water, and access to extensive fibre networks, Inga is an ideal location for large-scale data centres.
As AI and cloud services increase their energy needs — companies like OpenAI and Oracle are exploring data centres with multi-gigawatt capacities capable of powering approximately 900,000 homes annually — interest in African data centre expansion is rising. Major tech firms such as Google and Amazon Web Services have announced multiple projects across East and Southern Africa, reflecting the continent’s growing appeal as a cost-effective hub for digital infrastructure.
Luvuyo Masinda, CEO of Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking, noted that Africa’s relatively low energy costs and the promise of reliable power make it an attractive entry point for these investments, which can range from $3 billion to $4 billion per project.
The Inga site currently hosts two aging dams built over the past four decades. Long-planned expansion efforts — particularly the Grand Inga project, which envisions eight dams — have been repeatedly delayed due to high costs and logistical hurdles. However, momentum is building for the next phase, Inga III, especially as Congo’s copper mining industry faces critical power shortages.
In June, the World Bank committed $1 billion toward the project, with plans to contribute $250 million to Inga III, part of the broader Grand Inga complex. The project builds on earlier phases: Inga I (a 351 MW plant commissioned in 1972) and Inga II (a 1,424 MW facility launched a decade later). Once completed, Inga III is expected to cost around $10 billion and generate approximately 11,000 MW — more than three times Congo’s current capacity.
The broader vision aligns with the World Bank’s Mission 300 program, which aims to bring electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030 and could attract up to $85 billion in private investment, transforming Congo into a key renewable energy and digital hub for the continent.
