Congo's Grand Inga: World's biggest hydroelectric project gets new push | DW News
Vložit
- čas přidán 12. 07. 2021
- Plans for the world's largest hydroelectric project have been given new momentum. Australia's Fortescue Metals Group has been awarded exclusive rights to develop the Grand Inga network of dams in Congo that would be twice the size of the current global biggest.
The aim is to use the powerful Inga Falls at the mouth of the Congo River to generate vast amounts of electricity. For it to work, up to six more dams - on top of two already there - and several power plants need to be built.
The finished project would be capable of producing at least 40 gigawatts of electricity - twice as much as China's Three Gorges dam, which is currently the world's largest. It's enough power to cover around 40 percent of Africa's power needs. Total costs for the project are estimated to be about 80 billion dollars. Grand Inga has been in the offing since the 1990s, but until now, there was not enough money to make it happen.
Subscribe: czcams.com/users/deutsche...
For more news go to: www.dw.com/en/
Follow DW on social media:
►Facebook: / deutschewellenews
►Twitter: / dwnews
►Instagram: / dwnews
Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: / dwdeutsch
#GrandInga #Congo #Hydroelectricity
DW please research who you interview and make sure that they are a accredited person to give information about public projects.
Totally agree. All she really knew about and that was only in a general way, was what she paraphrased from a SA report, which in part made an observation about the impact of socio economic costs on a segment of South African women ...which was pretty useless in terms of this resport.
I mean honestly. A hydro-electric damn is not renewable? And its so annoying that she is referring to South Africa the whole time
Yeah this lady is just sorta hovering and not really addressing any of the climate problems she claims. We already know about displacement. All of what she's saying screams ideologue and not activist. The project is happening in the Congo, one of the poorest countries in Africa per Capita, talk about the impact there.
She’s opposing something that she doesn’t understand the impacts. Funny, she has electricity mostly likely produced from coal plant.
Clean Mpumalanga coal, lol.
Secunda area has one of the most polluted air in the world.
Thats why he said it would reduce fossil fuel she smirked lol
@@fridgemagnet9831 I bet.
As a south african I'm.always so excited when anywhere in Africa one sees projects like this
Great way for Congo and Africa to get access to cheap and abundant electricity.
“Access” meaning 9% of the population actually using it
@@garfieldarbuckle1317 common man. How can 9% of the population using 40000 megawatts of electricity? Are they going to eat it too?
@@tutmosis76 9% of the DRC, not Africa
@@garfieldarbuckle1317 They can make money out of it though
@@hallooos7585 Yes, that’s why the owners of the dam are selling the electricity generated throughout the continent
Either way, DRC badly needs the Power. Just imagine DRC being able to smelt and refine their resources. They'd be awesome!
DRC is terribly underutilized and this is a golden opportunity for DEC to export power
40GW is insane output,everything has a cost.
Is not possible to smelt anything with electricity directly. as electric energy can't produce high enough temperature for it. Some countries are trying to make hydrogen with electrolisis first then use it to smelt stuff but technology is expensive and still in early stages of development.
@@matiyak4571 true ! but at least some degree of refining would be...A GAME CHANGER for Congo
@@matiyak4571 i disagree, there are industrial scale electric furnaces available in the market that is used to melt, refine and mix metals with various other chemicals to separate, reinforce or to extract other metals. but it too is expensive and needs a big capital to create.
A very big debth trap! Why??? About 2B, not 80B, can get DRC 10 times more power, than the curant production.
You can just use 0,2B whit tubine and instalation, and make a about 20km tunnel under the DRC Capital. And you incrace DRC Hydro electric production from 8TWh to about 18TWh. Hydrolic head 20m.
And if you want more power, you just make more tunnels, at the sam location. ... You got 41 000m3 in this waterfall.
Grand Inga: You only need 6km tunnel to pass this waterfall. Make 3 tunnels for the price of about 0,2B, and get a Hydrolic head of 90meter. And you can maybe make 60TWh a year. And you can add on more tunnels and turbines, and maybe get 180TWh, whitout making the lagest and most expensive powerplant ever.
Lets add some grid, and put in a margin here, lets say 2B, for increasing DRC Hydro electric power production from 8 to 78TWh. That is cheap!!! ... And it is not a 80B debth trap!
@@terjesorhaug143 tunels means hight tech turbines + higher cost of maintanance.Also for large streams of water isnt that feasible anymore unless.... you wanna build the largest tunnels ever built in the world straight out in DRC :)
My man Rob was never ready for the lady's responses! 😂 Honestly neither were we!
That time she's sitting in a country (South Africa, where I'm from) whose ongoing "load shedding" problems cost the economy BILLIONS of dollars each year because of its negative effect on business productivity. Give us that power and keep the lights on please! 😂👏🏾
Yeah, you can only really afford to worry about the environment when you have the luxury to,
A stable, reliable, available, affordable &environmentally-friendly electricity will also mean we South Africans can invest, create jobs & contribute positively towards creating regional economic prosperity.
She's just like "that damn dam"
I am sure that there are environmental downsides. But the hydro energy likely replaces fossil fuel, thereby leading to a reduction of carbon emissions. Even though other forms of green energy would be even more sustainable.
And job buys there must be a positive impact...
The guest is confuse, may be she prefer coal
Wait are these dams really not considered green energy? Why’s that? When asked she said she couldn’t go into it (??)
they displace a lot of people, destroy much of the river ecosystem (with likely effects on fishing) and the land area that gets flooded, they block or impede shipping, the concrete and construction work certainly are not climate friendly if you want to nitpick, and I have heard concerns about methane release from the flooded reservoir area though like the concrete CO2 I imagine that this is not very noteworthy compared to fossil fuels. also WOMEN apparently. 🙄
basically hydroelectric dams are pretty climate friendly, but very locally destructive. they can also cause problems by diminishing river flow downstream during the period of filling, but that obviously won't be as much of a problem in the congo basin as it is with ethiopia damming the nile and reducing sudan's and egypt's water supply. by providing immediate electricity on demand, hydroelectric dams can be extremely useful to smooth out mismatched demand and supply in the electicity grid such as what you get when you generate a large portion of the grid's electricity from wind or solar energy.
@@InternetYesterday well, if it's a desert than means that there's no water. If there's water than it's not a desert...
@@JR-vc4gm No, what constitutes what is a desert is the annual precipitation, not the absence of water.
Damn, she is not a dam girl
@@InternetYesterday there maybe an initial impact, but the energy created is green and to be honest I wasn't impressed that she avoided the question
Freaking environmentalist .. wouldn't go into details but hydroelectric projects are just baaaaaad, trust me bro
Some people like to have fish, other people that you wont here from require fish to survive.
why? they are the best, unless you need to destroy everything
Spind just remove all trees in the reservoir area. boom, bonus tropical hardwood! to be really thorough, you could dig up the stumps, but most of a tree's mass is above ground. there is no way hydro releases climate-equivalent emissions equal to natural gas if you even make a little bit of an effort to not flood a whole forest (which is what has been done in many cases). if you leave the stumps, clearcutting a forest definitely pays for itself.
@@Ass_of_Amalek It isn't about trees, it's about what's in the water. I forgot the details of it but there's a video on youtube about it.
Yeah, they're lunatics!
What is DW purpose or agenda for interviewing a climate activist instead of somebody else ? This is the world's largest hydroelectric project that'll generate the very much needed electricity and jobs for many millions of people.
It's appalling. This dam will electrify many communities in Africa, providing an essential service to an enormous amount of citizens, yet these so-called "environmentalists" will try to find any minuscule reason to hinder progress... Also complaining about how this will badly affect women... give me a break! Women will love cheap electricity!
40% of Africa's energy??
'don't put all eggs in one basket' Jesus
I think they have alternative resources ( usually non- renewable reserves ) just for emergency use.
By the time it comes online the demand will go up so should have lower percentage.
It isnt that 40% of Africa's energy would depend on it, but that it generates 40% of what Africa currently consumes
@@user-hy6cp6xp9f yes, and it will take 15 to 20 years to construct and fill if they start now
40% of Africa energy use.
-If nobody uses electricity, you get to 40% very fast.
80Billion means stakeholders to protect their investment meaning keeping the country stable and conflict free, the bar is low, this is a start.
Sadly, the working dam is a resource like any other, like an oil well or a mine. It is not a guarantee that the country will be stable - it is is a guarantee that someone will profit off of it, it provides a whole lot of potential for corruption
OK so the displacement issue she mentions is a valid point. If the company helps DRC relocate people it should be OK.
The dam will be built in remote areas with virtually no population. She obviously doesn’t know what she is talking about
why so much talk about south africa when the subject is in the Congo
Just making opinion statements, no substance, why is she on air. She totally undermined her position and lost me, even though I was keen to understand her perspective
Good Australians involve and not Chinees
Did this lady have one solid point to argue against it?
Haha climate activist argues against renewable energy gold
Because she is a feminist first...
DW is fond of bringing in weak "experts". I love DW though!
She’s busy criticising hydro while using coal produced power.
Nice to see more countries using clean energies❤️
Build more dams, wind power stations and use solar panel to save our planet Earth
It's not clean m8. Hydro is renewable, just not clean energy.
For sure
Fascinating that this is finally being built, and in this way. My best friend at school's father was the civil engineer that built half the dams in my country. During my school days my friend brought out a plan as to how his father had hoped to electrify half of africa!
Neither the interviewer nor the interviewee came ready to discuss.
Cheap the UK spent 37 Billion on a Trace and track app with testing.
Is this a debate or a interview? I guess DW choose the wrong way to make this video. There's no space for arguments to be developed and the host has clearly a side. Very confusing.
Exactly, why is she worried about SA when they are talking about the DRC
does she has real arguments?
I am a little bit concerned that Australia has the experience to build it. It may ended with not finishing at all or takes forever. I hope it goes smoothly.
5:25 huh, South African women will be disrupted from having clean electricity from DRC????
This would be like a dream come true for Africa and DRC, and former colonizers and current neocolonizers should pay for the building of the entire system. No questions asked.
I watched in order to understand the potential downsides of Great Inga project, ... like in particular what the risks and damages are expected to be. Everyone knows there are downsides to everything..
Somehow only very general risks are mentioned (partly because the lady speaks that way, but partly because she is interrupted when trying to go more in the details).
Thanks you dw news group team ..
She does not speak for us. That is the engine Congo needs to be Africa's next Trillion dollar economy.
i hope it takes off and this is a success africa badly needs it
This Lady is just making vague statements like "big dams are always bad" and does not provide a single real argument.
Fact is, Grand Inga could produce huge amounts of energy with quite moderate ecological Impact. E.g. the river would not be completely blocked, the areas flooded would be quite small.
nice o see congo developing
What is she smoking?
I m Congolese, the compensation is always paid according to the DRC law to all dislocated communities. This lady is not supporting this project I can guess. From my side I so happy to see my contribution of FMG in my country.
Great Kongo.
She has absolutely no idea what she is talking about what you saw when the interviewer opposed her opinion and she started rowing and argueing without arguments.
Please choose your interview partners more carefully...
I know that there are serious problems with hydropower, but I'm not sure that your "expert" knows them. she was a terrible choice for this interview, absolutely useless.
She is a typical Indian who doesn’t even know what she’s talking about
@@magtazeum4071 She's South African, they have lots of Indians there as a legacy of the British Empire days.
@@jameschristophercirujano6650 makes no difference ...they are all the same
Excellent project, if it's well done and the Electricity put to good use. It can create an Industrial Complex to generate Exports and Jobs in huge numbers. The water should be filtered and used for farming under plastics before it gets wasted in the sea. The local Manufacturing that this Project can support must be clearly detailed and shared. This guest saying that Woman would be negativily impacted by the Inga Falls Electric Project is incorrect , to put it mildly.
IF is Truth will be Good news for All Africa and beyond this is Amazing job for Africa and beyond WOW#@"
No one should mention about environment when they have no idea of what hardships the Congolese are facing. Look at pictures showing the world at night and Congo and much of Africa is in darkness. These desperately need such infrastructure. That would help their economies grow.
Its time to see African as one
A hydro dam is always good…..
It gives green energy, provide exec to hundreds of thousands of people, it provides irrigation for farming…..it control flood etc…..can so be tourism …..
Gooooooo congo
Why did u interview this woman ? She claims it's not renewable energy and doesnt explain why.
The AU must to construct the grand Inga Dam in DRC
Simple as that
Damn dam, damn, girl! Dammit
I wonder how this is going to effect the ecology of the area.
This woman doesn't even know what she is talking about. The environmental impact of hydro power is not zero, BUT it's much more cleaner than any other conventional source. Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world and desperately need energy to boost the economy. This project is a step towards sustainable development. DW, please do research before you invite people on the show. By the way, your host seems much smarter and well read on the subject than the guest.
Lmao, but the Three Gorges Dam is a single dam. How could you compare more than 1 dam with 8.
Environmentalists will never tell you that Inga Dam will help the environment and stop deforestation. Africans will now own electric cookers, Imagine the impact on African forests when people stop cutting trees for charcoal.
The total projection of the power output Is always an exaggeration. This is to convince the financial institutions to fund it
Thank God this project did not go towards Chinese debt trap.
Its an Australian debt trap instead. 😂
maybe I misunderstood but I think she was trying to explain that exporting energy production to congo would cause unemployment in south africa?
Only for women though .lol
This lady is lobbying negatively, this is purely positive
Yes! Build that dam!
It will force civilization to take hold for real
But at least try to take the ecological impacts into account.
Never have I seen a guest so unqualified. Jesus!!
Don't use the Lord's Name in vain.
Other than what you say is absolutely correct.
Clearly they brought the wrong person on the show lol. Towards the end of it, she was talking only about girl power not electrical power. That's your bad dw.
She is a Dam to the Grand Inga Dam, this project is a chance for DRC to dress a good image and to start a new chapter. For her information, South African Citizens use to work in DRC. If she cannot mind, DRC will need expertise from South African as well.
$80 billion is way too expensive. It will take a miracle to find financial backing.
It will be done in stages, of course. Not in one go.
The AU bank must to contruct the grand Inga Dam in DRC
An Austraiian mining company now runs the Inga3 to Inga8 projects?
It is a pie in sky to build a hydro for US$2,000 per kW.
Will the westerns call this a dept trap? It's not China this time. 😂😂😂
I was wondering the same thing.
ived seen WORST in my life... a DAMM is/remains a DAMM tho
Sounds great, but where is the $80bn coming from? Who is willing to put that kind of money into a decade long construction in a volatile area?
CHYNAH maybe, the project will probably take decades before return so private sector funding is unlikely.
I am here
Might be better and more effective to have 10 dams of 4 GW spread on the Congo river than one of 40 GW. Transport of electricity is not always that efficient. Transporting to SA is more a dream, rather than a realistic idea
;) TRUE
ITS still POSSIBLE ! but with the price of SA's economic competitivity at risk
DRC is already part of the Southern Africa power pool, some of the Electricity used in South Africa already comes another Hydro Dam called Cahora Bassa in Northern Mozambique, HVDC power lines can transmit power over large distances
@@bhazinumbr there are more losses the further it is transmitted
@@NJ-wb1cz every transmission grid long/short has losses, but HVDC lines have fewer losses over long distances, Eskom already uses HVDC lines to connect South Africa to Cahora bassa, the UK also transmits Electricity to/from France using under water HVDC lines
This so called analyst knows nothing and is just focused on the problems instead of balancing the act with the good it will create in the area.
Why do you just cancel her like that? More respect for your guests pls.
Ethiopia and Tanzania will be next
She'd just rather see the people there poor
Here we go again. There's always a story every now and then. The project should be dealt with by the AU which would provide more financial security.
And no Chinese engineering groups it should work.
Congo DRC is also the richest poorest country!
This woman is making absolutely no sense right now. Major lapse of judgment for inviting her to do this interview
how i wish my nation which has abundant active volcanoes would build hundreds of geothermal power plant, the coal can go to industries usage with lower Amount of mining
Congo has a GDP of $80 billion, so good luck financing it
china
We found big oil new spokesperson
maybe im getting too dumb as i age. but did she really said anything here or what?
80 Billion dollars and mega projects like this always go over budget. All to one company. What would happen if you put that money into solar wind and energy storage. Water is drying up in many damns right now, by the time it's built the production value may be far less than expected. It would be much better to diversify energy creation.
Fighting climate change isn’t won by saying: “No”
Lots of sacrifices need to be taken either way. -With or without climate change.
Everyone likes “green” energy:
“…but please no wind turbines around my area. They destroy the view.”
The obvious question is who is paying for this?
Free energy.
Clearly this lady knows little about life in a developing country or perhaps has forgotten. It usually gets worse before it gets better. We need jobs, power and industrialisation and we need it fast! Poverty sucks!!
this woman has never been to Switzerland... Of course there are not only positives to hydropower, but just to say it is bad. I dunno
Jeeez... typical South African left wing being political they should have interviewed someone close to the project, as a South African I am happy for Congo and this project...
Trusha euhhhh euhhhhhh euhhhhhhh
The stupidest argument I've ever heard in my life!!
Don't judge this woman. She knows a lot but she is too sleepy to go into details.
Ghaning
This project realisation is in DRC but she is speaking the impact on South African women. I don't caching her.
dams have very big negative impact on River's ecology specially on fish , the submerged vegetation decays underwater & produces large quantities of methane which cannot be captured & methane is more harmful than CO2, I know this from my school days as we were taught about it , what baffled me was that the environmentalist was like "there are lot of negative impacts of creating dams which are not know to the public & I will not go into those details here" well the why was she invited to the show..??? :|
The only negative environmental impacts hydroelectric dams have are 1) the CO2 from the concrete for the construction of the dam and 2) the disruption of biodiversity. Both of those are a small price to pay for supplying 40% of Africas current energy needs with carbon free electricity. Also, exporting electricity could be a new income stream for the war torn Congo.
Edit: lmao she complains about this project not creating any jobs for South Africans. This Congolese project is supposed to create jobs for Congolese people not for South Africans. Jesus DW please get knowledgable people for interviews.
The lady has never been in congo ...
Jeff bezos can build this dam 3 times
3:25 "...people have not yet been given compensation" sad, but what does that have to do with the climate? Please take your own science seriously. We need hard facts and not some weird agenda.. Tnx
4:11 "the electricity will create no jobs“ This interview is just a dystopian joke. Seldom heard bigger nonsense.
Stop ✋the nonsense criticism let the Dam be ...
You are negative south african who has said nothing,south Africa will benefit very much,considering the closeness of congo.