Inga Dams, Hydroelectric complex near Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Inga Dams are two hydroelectric power stations, Inga I and Inga II, on the Congo River near Matadi. Inga I has a capacity of 351 MW and Inga II 1,424 MW. The concrete dam has a parapet walkway with lampposts and a sloped downstream face divided into vertical ribs; inclined penstocks descend to a pale rectangular building.

The first dam was completed in the early 1970s, followed by a second facility a decade later. Both projects were major infrastructure works intended to transform the country's power supply.

The complex is operated by the Société nationale d'électricité (SNEL), the national power company. In August 2021 SNEL agreed with Ivanhoe Mines Energy RDC, a subsidiary of the Canadian mining group Ivanhoe Mines, that the latter would rehabilitate turbine 5 of Inga II, supplying 162 MW to the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine near Kolwezi, in Lualaba province, along with the Inga-Kolwezi high-voltage line.

The area is fairly remote and requires preparation for a visit, as infrastructure is limited. It makes sense to learn about access in advance and arrange for local guides.

A much larger expansion is planned that could make the system the world's biggest hydroelectric project. The ambitious vision includes several additional facilities with enormous development potential.