Dakar - Democratic Republic of Congo
hopes to import electricity from South Africa, an expensive
measure aimed at reducing a gaping power deficit that has dented
mining output in the continent's top copper producer, the
chamber of commerce said on Wednesday.
Congo is plagued by massive energy shortfalls and scarce
rainfall could cause a near 50 percent drop in output in the
country's main hydroelectric plants during the May-September dry
season.
Delegates from Congo's public power utility and chamber of
commerce will negotiate imports from South African power utility
Eskom on Thursday and Friday, said Eric Monga, the president of
Congo's chamber of commerce in the southeastern mining region.
The export would involve transporting power hundreds of
miles through grids in Zimbabwe and Zambia, raising costs.
"It's clearly more expensive...but the economic interest is
so great that we are obliged to go hear them out," Monga told
Reuters.
Congo's copper-mining Katanga region receives only about
half the power it needs from the national grid, forcing
operators to rely on expensive generators or imports, usually
from neighbouring Zambia. Congo does not currently import
electricity from South Africa.
Monga said each mining company would be free to eventually
negotiate with Eskom for the power it requires. Major operators
in Congo include Glencore, Ivanhoe Mines and
Randgold.
Congo is meant to construct a new 4 800 MW, $14 billion dam
on the Congo River by 2020 - with 2 500 MW earmarked for South
Africa - but progress has stalled with the government yet to
select a developer.