Inga-Shaba
Encyclopedia
The Inga–Shaba EHVDC Intertie (officially: The Inga–Shaba Extra High Voltage D.C. Intertie; nickname: Inga–Shaba) is a high-voltage direct current
overhead electric power transmission
line in the Democratic Republic of Congo, linking the Inga hydroelectric complex
at the mouth of the Congo River
to mineral fields in Shaba (Katanga). It was primarily constructed by Morrison-Knudsen International
, an American engineering company. It cost US$
900 million.
' most important third world commitments of the 1970s and 1980s. However, construction progress was plagued by rebel insurgency in Southern Zaire, massive logistical challenges, unavoidable cost overruns, and financing delays.
By utilizing the hydroelectric potential of the Inga Dam
and by constructing one switching station near Kinshasa
at Selo, the Government of Zaire
under Mobutu Sese Seko
was theoretically able to control the flow of power to secession-prone Katanga
, then Shaba, province, but never actually exercised this option. It was reported in La Libre Belgique, a Bruxelles newspaper, that Tractionel, a Belgian electrical contractor, had argued that more economical alternatives were available nearer Shaba, using low-head generator plants
, but had been overlooked in favor of the American consortium, consisting of Morrison-Knudsen International as a prime contractor, and Swedish ASEA, Italian Sadelmi-Cogepi and Irish GE subsidiary
as sub-contractors.
The project was initially conceived as a US$250 million contract - but cost overruns, partly due to unanticipated armed conflict in Shaba Province, pushed the final price up over US$1 billion, with unofficial estimates ranging as high as US$1.3 billion, inclusive of a comprehensive Operations and Maintenance Contract.
Construction of the Inga–Shaba Project provided the Ministry of Energy and the Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL)
, with the means to promote further development activity throughout Zaire, by attracting potential investors and overseas firms; however, there have been suggestions that well-placed officials in the Mobutu government may have accepted gratuities at various critical junctures during the construction phase. As the Republic became more indebted to overseas financial entities, the Inga–Shaba Project ultimately accounted for approximately 20% of the former Zaire's debt burden, the total amount of which was $5 billion at the time, according to a variety of credible sources.
(05°31′27"S 13°36′39"E) at the mouth of the Congo River
, specifically from the Inga Dam
, one of Africa's three largest hydroelectric complexes, to the distant copper mining region then known as Shaba, today Katanga
. It featured switching stations at Selo (near Kinshasa) (04°42′43"S 15°17′41"E), Kikwit
(05°06′39"S 18°47′06"E), Kananga
(05°59′26"S 22°26′52"E) and Kamina
(08°44′43"S 24°52′30"E), prior to delivering power to the Kolwezi
Inverter Station(10°39′27"S 25°27′08"E).
technology provided by Swedish subcontractor ASEA
, was designed to transmit 560 megawatts, in the first phase, at a symmetrical bipolar voltage of +/-500 kilovolts. It is the longest EHVDC transmission line to date, except for one in Siberia
, which never went in service. Because the line runs through relatively inaccessible terrain, an unusually broad right-of-way was cleared, at considerable expense, to ensure tower integrity.
The line operated initially at only 10% of capacity. In the 1990s, prior to major social unrest, the line increased its power transmission to 200 megawatts, still considerably below design capacity. As of 2010, the line was still functional as far as Bandundu
, the capital of Bandundu province, approximately 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) northeast of Kinshasa.
Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History. New York: Zed Books, 2002.
High-voltage direct current
A high-voltage, direct current electric power transmission system uses direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common alternating current systems. For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses...
overhead electric power transmission
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
line in the Democratic Republic of Congo, linking the Inga hydroelectric complex
Inga Dam
The Inga Dams, located in western Democratic Republic of the Congo 140 miles southwest of Kinshasa, are hydroelectric dams on the largest waterfalls in the world, Inga Falls. Here the Congo River drops 96 metres and has an average flow of 42,476 m³/s....
at the mouth of the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
to mineral fields in Shaba (Katanga). It was primarily constructed by Morrison-Knudsen International
Washington Group International
Washington Group International was an American corporation which provided integrated engineering, construction and management services to businesses and governments around the world. Based in Boise, Idaho, it had approximately 25,000 employees working in over 40 states and more than 30 countries...
, an American engineering company. It cost US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
900 million.
History
The Inga–Shaba HVDC represented one of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' most important third world commitments of the 1970s and 1980s. However, construction progress was plagued by rebel insurgency in Southern Zaire, massive logistical challenges, unavoidable cost overruns, and financing delays.
By utilizing the hydroelectric potential of the Inga Dam
Inga Dam
The Inga Dams, located in western Democratic Republic of the Congo 140 miles southwest of Kinshasa, are hydroelectric dams on the largest waterfalls in the world, Inga Falls. Here the Congo River drops 96 metres and has an average flow of 42,476 m³/s....
and by constructing one switching station near Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
at Selo, the Government of Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
under Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
was theoretically able to control the flow of power to secession-prone Katanga
Katanga Province
Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
, then Shaba, province, but never actually exercised this option. It was reported in La Libre Belgique, a Bruxelles newspaper, that Tractionel, a Belgian electrical contractor, had argued that more economical alternatives were available nearer Shaba, using low-head generator plants
Low head hydro power
Low head hydro power applications use river current or tidal flows of 20 meters or less to produce energy. These applications do not need to dam or retain water to create hydraulic head; the head is only a few metres...
, but had been overlooked in favor of the American consortium, consisting of Morrison-Knudsen International as a prime contractor, and Swedish ASEA, Italian Sadelmi-Cogepi and Irish GE subsidiary
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
as sub-contractors.
The project was initially conceived as a US$250 million contract - but cost overruns, partly due to unanticipated armed conflict in Shaba Province, pushed the final price up over US$1 billion, with unofficial estimates ranging as high as US$1.3 billion, inclusive of a comprehensive Operations and Maintenance Contract.
Construction of the Inga–Shaba Project provided the Ministry of Energy and the Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL)
Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL)
Société nationale d'électricité is the national electricity company of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its head office building is located in the district of La Gombe in the capital city, Kinshasa. SNEL operates the Inga Dam facility on the Congo River, and also operates thermal power...
, with the means to promote further development activity throughout Zaire, by attracting potential investors and overseas firms; however, there have been suggestions that well-placed officials in the Mobutu government may have accepted gratuities at various critical junctures during the construction phase. As the Republic became more indebted to overseas financial entities, the Inga–Shaba Project ultimately accounted for approximately 20% of the former Zaire's debt burden, the total amount of which was $5 billion at the time, according to a variety of credible sources.
Route
The ten-year project entailed design and construction of a 1700 kilometres (1,056.3 mi) electrical transmission line from IngaInga
Inga is a genus of small tropical, tough-leaved, nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs, subfamily Mimosoideae. Ingas leaves are pinnate, and flowers are generally white...
(05°31′27"S 13°36′39"E) at the mouth of the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
, specifically from the Inga Dam
Inga Dam
The Inga Dams, located in western Democratic Republic of the Congo 140 miles southwest of Kinshasa, are hydroelectric dams on the largest waterfalls in the world, Inga Falls. Here the Congo River drops 96 metres and has an average flow of 42,476 m³/s....
, one of Africa's three largest hydroelectric complexes, to the distant copper mining region then known as Shaba, today Katanga
Katanga Province
Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
. It featured switching stations at Selo (near Kinshasa) (04°42′43"S 15°17′41"E), Kikwit
Kikwit
Kikwit is the largest city of Kwilu District, lying on the Kwilu River in the southwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kikwit is also known in the region under the nickname "The Mother". The population is approximately 294,210...
(05°06′39"S 18°47′06"E), Kananga
Kananga
Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital of Lulua District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 1,130,100 ....
(05°59′26"S 22°26′52"E) and Kamina
Kamina
Kamina is a city in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around . It is the provincial capital.- Transport :...
(08°44′43"S 24°52′30"E), prior to delivering power to the Kolwezi
Kolwezi
Kolwezi is a city in Katanga Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It is home to an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. The population is approximately 418,000....
Inverter Station(10°39′27"S 25°27′08"E).
Technology
This scheme, equipped with modern thyristorThyristor
A thyristor is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating N and P-type material. They act as bistable switches, conducting when their gate receives a current trigger, and continue to conduct while they are forward biased .Some sources define silicon controlled rectifiers and...
technology provided by Swedish subcontractor ASEA
ASEA
Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri...
, was designed to transmit 560 megawatts, in the first phase, at a symmetrical bipolar voltage of +/-500 kilovolts. It is the longest EHVDC transmission line to date, except for one in Siberia
HVDC Ekibastuz–Centre
HVDC Ekibastuz–Centre is an unfinished HVDC transmission line between Ekibastuz in Kazhakstan and Tambov in Russia whose construction was started in 1978...
, which never went in service. Because the line runs through relatively inaccessible terrain, an unusually broad right-of-way was cleared, at considerable expense, to ensure tower integrity.
The line operated initially at only 10% of capacity. In the 1990s, prior to major social unrest, the line increased its power transmission to 200 megawatts, still considerably below design capacity. As of 2010, the line was still functional as far as Bandundu
Bandundu
Bandundu, formerly known as Banningville or Banningstad, is a city in Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Bandundu is the capital of Bandundu Province. It is located on the north bank of the Kwango River, just below the juncture of the Kwango and the Kwilu, 8 km upstream from...
, the capital of Bandundu province, approximately 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) northeast of Kinshasa.
Biobliography
- Kwitny, Jonathan Endless Enemies: The Making of an Unfriendly World (1984; ISBN 0-14-008093-7)
Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History. New York: Zed Books, 2002.
External links
- http://www.abb.com/global/abbzh/abbzh251.nsf?OpenDatabase&db=/GLOBAL/GAD/GAD02181.NSF&v=17EA&e=us&m=9F2&c=C1256D71001E0037C1256C7D00387939
- http://www.transnational-research.com/miller.htm The Inga-Shaba Project: Corporate Diplomacy in the Third World
- http://web.archive.org/web/20051115122606/www.transmission.bpa.gov/cigresc14/Compendium/INGASHAB.htm
- http://web.archive.org/web/20051115122606/www.transmission.bpa.gov/cigresc14/Compendium/Ingashab%20Pictures.pdf