France and DRC Strengthen Cooperation to Prepare Inga III Hydropower Project
France Backs DRC Capacity Building Ahead of Inga III Hydroelectric Mega Project
The French Development Agency (AFD) and the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project (ADPI) signed a memorandum of understanding in Kinshasa on February 2, 2026, marking a new step in preparations for the Inga III hydroelectric project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The agreement aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to host one of Africa’s largest planned energy projects.
The partnership is structured around four core priorities: vocational training and higher education to place young Congolese at the center of the project; agricultural development to promote inclusive growth and food security; reinforcement of institutional capacity to ensure effective and transparent governance; and spatial planning to support balanced territorial development in areas affected by the project.
France’s minister for Francophonie, international partnerships and French nationals abroad, Éléonore Caroit, said French support would initially focus on project preparation, particularly through training engineers and skilled technicians who will be essential to its implementation.
She also expressed hope that French companies would participate in future tenders once construction begins.
Inga III is a flagship hydropower project expected to deliver several thousand megawatts of installed capacity. With estimated investment needs exceeding $10 billion and a development timeline likely to span more than a decade, the project requires extensive technical, institutional and social preparation.
This approach is reflected in the launch of the Inga III Development Program (PDI 3), designed to prepare both the infrastructure and the host country.
PDI 3 is a multi-year program focused on building a local skilled workforce, developing infrastructure and productive activities particularly agriculture in project affected zones, and carrying out technical, environmental, social, financial and legal studies.
It also covers project structuring and the establishment of financing and governance frameworks required to reach financial close.
The World Bank plans to support the program with up to $1 billion over 10 years, disbursed in four tranches, with the first already approved.
ADPI Director General Bob Mabiala Mvumbi has indicated that several technical schools along the corridor between the Atlantic coast and Kinshasa will be rehabilitated to train future workers for Inga III.
The National Institute for Professional Preparation is also involved, while engineering faculties are set to receive upgraded laboratories, particularly in hydraulics.
In parallel, scholarships supported by the AFD will be awarded to students in project related technical fields, with some expected to participate in early on-site work ahead of geological and geotechnical studies scheduled to begin later this year.
