The World Bank has postponed a board-level discussion of its support for the Inga 3 dam project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The board of directors of the World Bank was scheduled to vote on a $73 million grant for the hydropower project but this has been postponed and a new date has not yet been set.
International Rivers, a pressure group opposed to large hydropower projects, called on the Bank to use the delay to "fundamentally reconsider the value of Inga 3".
Inga 3 is part of the giant Grand Inga project on the Congo River, which could produce up to 40 000 MW of energy if developed. It is touted as a means to light up Africa and is listed as a priority project by organizations such as the Aouthern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the East African power Pool (EAPP).
Inga 3 has a proposed capacity of 4800 MW and much of its electricity would be exported to South Africa and mining projects in DRC. It would cost an estimated $12 billion to build.
Sian Crampsie
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