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Zongo II Dam Barrage de Zongo
Location of Zongo II Power Station Placement on map is approximateShow map of Democratic Republic of the CongoZongo II Hydroelectric Power Station (Africa)Show map of AfricaZongo II Hydroelectric Power Station (Earth)Show map of Earth
Location	Zongo, Central Kongo Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates	04°46′57″S 14°54′22″E / 4.78250°S 14.90611°E / -4.78250; 14.90611
Construction began	2012
Opening date	2018
Construction cost	US$360 million
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Inkisi River
Power Station
Commission date	2018
Turbines	150 MW (3 x 50 MW)
Installed capacity	150 MW (200,000 hp)

The Zongo II Power Station, also Zongo 2 Power Station, (French: Centrale hydroélectrique de Zongo II) is a 150 MW hydroelectric power station across the Inkisi River that harnesses the energy of the Zongo Falls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Construction began on 14 March 2012 and concluded in 2018. The power station was officially inaugurated on 22 June 2018 by the President of the DR Congo, at that time, Joseph Kabila.

Location

Zongo II Dam is located in the village of Zongo, in Central Kongo Province, in southwestern DR Congo. The power station lies across the Inkisi River, (a tributary of the Congo River), approximately 78 kilometres (48 mi) southwest of Kinshasa, the capital and largest city in that country. This is about 275 kilometres (171 mi), by road, northeast of the port of Matadi, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

The coordinates of Zongo II Power Station are 04°46'57.0"S, 14°54'22.0"E (Latitude:-4.782500; Longitude:14.906111).

Zongo II HPP sits at the location, formerly occupied by Zongo I Hydroelectric Power Plant. The 75 megawatts power station was constructed between 1955 and 1965. It comprised five turbines, each with capacity of 15 megawatts. By the time it was replaced, output had greatly diminished due to equipment obsolescence and lack of maintenance, over its 60-year lifespan.

Overview

The installed capacity at Zongo II HPP is 150 megawatts. The energy produced here is purchased by Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL), for integration into the national electricity grid under a long-term power purchase agreement. A 220kV high voltage transmission line measuring 70 kilometres (43 mi) conveys the energy from the power station to the SNEL substation at Kinsuka, in Kinshasa, where the energy enters into the national grid.

Development, funding and timeline

The engineering, procurement, and construction contract was awarded to Sinohydro, the Chinese state-owned, hydropower engineering and construction company, at a contract price of US$360 million.

The funds were borrowed by the Government of DR Congo, from the Exim Bank of China at an interest rate of 2 percent per annum, over a 20-year period, beginning the day of commercial commissioning.

Construction began in 2012 and was originally scheduled for three years. However, due to delays, it took six years to complete the dam and power station, which came online in June 2018.

See also

• List of power stations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

References

1. ^ Olivier Kamo (11 July 2019). "DRC: dam Zongo II, a project poorly evaluated technically and financially (study)". ZoomEco.net. Kinshasa, DRC. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
2. "Road Distance Between Kinshasa, DRC and Zongo, Kongo Central, DRC" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
3. "Road Distance Between Matadi, DRC and Zongo, Kongo Central, DRC" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
4. "Location of Zongo II Hydroelectric Power Station" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
5. Rajan Gupta (22 December 2011). "Profile of Zongo I Hydroelectric Power Station". Global Energy Observatory. Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
6. ^ Jean Marie Takouleu (3 July 2018). "DRC: Sinohydro has finally completed the Zongo 2 hydroelectric dam". Afrik.21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
7. HuatuChina (2018). "Zongo II Hydropower Station in DRC". Huatuchina.com. Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Retrieved 28 June 2021.

External links

• 150 MW Zongo II Hydropower Project

v t e Kongo Central Province
Cities	Matadi Matadi Nzanza Mvuzi Boma Kabondo Kalamu Nzadi
Territories	Kasangulu Kimvula Lukula Luozi Madimba Mbanza-Ngungu Moanda Seke-Banza Songololo Tshela
Populated places	Banana Nkamba
Other	Inga dams Mangroves National Park Yellala Falls

• Kongo Central
• Energy infrastructure completed in 2018
• Hydroelectric power stations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• 2018 establishments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo