Publication date: 2017, September
Author: International Rivers
Description: Africa is endowed with enormous renewable energy potential, yet the continent suffers from some of the world’s worst energy poverty. This energy poverty gap is especially pronounced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where only 13.5% of the population has access to electricity. The deficit stunts economic development and impoverishes millions: In 2015, DRC’s GDP per capita ranked among the lowest in the world.
The good news is that the solution to the country’s energy poverty already exists. Our new study shows that the DRC has abundant, low-cost and accessible wind and solar potential that’s sufficient to not only completely replace but greatly surpass energy that would be supplied by the proposed Inga 3 Dam.
