Work on country's largest hydroelectric dam begins

Construction of what will be the largest hydroelectric dam in the Republic of Congo began on Tuesday in Imboulou, 215 km north of the capital, Brazzaville, in the central department of Plateaux.

Congo's three main power stations - Djoue Dam, built in 1951; Moukoukoulou Dam, built in 1978; and the Djeno gas factory - currently provide some 110 megawatts, or 25 percent of the country's power needs. Although some 40 megawatts of supplemental power is imported daily from the Inga Dam in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country still suffers from what the government calls an "enormous power deficit".

Once completed, the Imboulou Dam, on the Lefini River 14 km from where it joins the Congo River, will provide an additional 120 megawatts of power.

According to the Congolese government, the project will create some 900 permanent jobs and 2,000 temporary jobs. With the installation of a 60 km-long paved road, Brazzaville said it expected additional economic benefits from improved access to the region, particularly in the domains of timber, fishing, agriculture and livestock.

A technician from the Ministry of Energy told IRIN that fishermen would be able to continue their activities uninterrupted, although the dam would prevent fish from moving upstream. He also said the dam would greatly reduce the risk of flooding in the region.

The project, expected to take six years at a cost of US $280 million, is being led by a consortium of two private Chinese companies.