The Guardian
April 21, 2008
by John Vidal
Seven African governments and the world’s largest banks and construction firms meet in London today to plan the most powerful dam ever conceived – an $80bn (£40bn) hydro power project on the Congo river which, its supporters say, could double the amount of electricity available on the continent.
G8 and some African governments hope that the Grand Inga dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo will generate twice as much electricity as the world’s current largest dam, the Three Gorges in China, and jump start industrial development on the continent, bringing electricity to hundreds of million of people.
but in all of these years we have been left without electricity,” said Simon Malanda, a community representative.
Doucet acknowledged that “there are huge social issues around Grand Inga that must be dealt with. Congo must benefit. If Congo is bypassed then the whole project fails,” he said.
Originally posted at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/21/congo.water