Democratic Republic of the Congo Energy Situation

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Democratic Republic of the Congo
Flag of Democratic Republic of the Congo.png
Location _______.png

Capital:

Kinshasa

Region:

Coordinates:

2.8800° S, 23.6560° E

Total Area (km²): It includes a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.

2,344,860

Population: It is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin.

102,262,808 (2023)

Rural Population (% of total population): It refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.

53 (2023)

GDP (current US$): It is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources.

66,383,287,003 (2023)

GDP Per Capita (current US$): It is gross domestic product divided by midyear population

649.14 (2023)

Access to Electricity (% of population): It is the percentage of population with access to electricity.

21.50 (2022)

Energy Imports Net (% of energy use): It is estimated as energy use less production, both measured in oil equivalents. A negative value indicates that the country is a net exporter. Energy use refers to use of primary energy before transformation to other end-use fuels, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.

1.96 (2014)

Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption (% of total): It comprises coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas products.

5.36 (2014)

Source: World Bank



Introduction

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is in the center of sub-Saharan Africa. DRC is bordering the Central African Republic to the north, the Republic of Congo to the north-west & South Sudan to the north-east. On the eastern borders lie Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi & Tanzania (with Lake Tanganyika separating the borders). The South Atlantic Ocean is to the west of the country, with Angola to the south-west & Zambia to both the south and the south-east.


DRC Map


Energy Situation

Overview of the Country's Energy Sources

The DRC's potential to generate energy is high, having a wide range of both renewable and non-renewable energy sources[1]. The DRC's potential renewable sources are hydropower, biomass, solar, wind and geothermal, while the non-renewables would be oil, natural gas & uranium[1].


Approximatrely 9% of the country's generated domestic power comes from hydropower, specially the two Inga dams (Inga I & Inga II)[1][2].


DRC's Ingas


While the country has abundancy for hydro-based power generation, the country's production of different fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas is modest and very limited[2]. The DRC's total hydropower capacity is about 100,000 MW, with the Inga damn solely counting for 40,000-45,000 MW[3].


Energy Access

A decade ago, during the year 2009, 89% of DRC's total population did not have access to electricity, leaving only 11% with access, while 94% of the population were completely dependent on biomass as the main cooking fuel[3][4]


DRC's total energy access 1990-2017 (Tracking SDG7, 2019)


Though the access rates have gone up by the year 2017, as the population with access went up from 11% in 2009 to 19%, yet the access rates in the country still alarming, especially in the rural areas where about only 4% have access to electricity, and no proper efforts have been made or taken to increase the access rate or improve the situation.


DRC's urban energy access 1990-2017 (Tracking SDG7, 2018)


DRC's rural energy access 1990-2017 (Tracking SDG7, 2019)


Production

Hydropower comes as the number one and major energy supplier in the country, with biomass (wood & agricultural residues) and oil as the secondary ones[3]. 99% of the DRC's produced electricity comes from hydropower, while both oil and gas account for the remaining 1%[3].


Table: DRC's Total Final Production of Different Energy Sources 2000-2018[5]
Energy Source Unit 2000 2005 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Carbon Kt 106 132 0 0 0 0 0 0
Charcoal Kt 283 615 3674 3803 3841 4074 4129 4185
Crude oil Kt 1169 1269 1129 1061 1048 996 946 957
Natural gas TJ 0 0 0 0 46 14 0 0


Installed Capacity

DRC's total primary energy supply of different sources 1990-2016 (IEA, 2019)


Consumption

DRC's total final energy consumption of different sources 1990-2016 (IEA, 2019)


77% of the country's total final energy consumption goes only for the residential sector, making it the major consuming sector[6]. The industrial sector counts for 20.5% of the final total energy consumption, and 2.4% for agriculture, transport & public services all together[6].


Table: DRC's Final Energy Consumption of Different Sources 2000-2018[5]
Energy Sources Unit 2000 2005 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Oil Kt 269 404 1096 1467 863 626 658 693
Electricity GWh 4533 4883 7252 7899 7376 7001 7224 7457

 

Import and Export

DRC's net energy imports 1990-2016 (IEA, 2019)


Table: DRC's net imports of different energy sources 2000-2018[5]
Energy Sources Unit 2000 2005 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Oil products Kt 344 563 1247 1697 985 743 795 850
Natural gas TJ 0 0 0 80 46 38 38 38


Electricity

Table: DRC's Electricity General Indicators 2015-2016[7]
Indicator Production Consumption Exports Imports Generation
Capacity 9.046 billion kWh 7.43 billion kWh 422 million kWh 20 million kWh 2.587 million kW
World Ranking 106 106 70 113 105


DRC's total produced electricity comes mainly from two sources; hydropower, which counts for 98%, and fossil fuels with 2%[7].


Table: DRC's Total Produced Electricity from Different Energy Sources 2000-2018[5]
Source Unit 2000 2005 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
From Fossil Fuels GWh 19 23 9 11 16 14 14 14
From Hydropower GWh 6001 7396 8231 8820 8916 9099 9770 10516


Energy Security


Renewable Energy

General Indicators

As mentioned earlier, the country possesses a significant potential for renewable power generation, which is illustrated further as follows[6]:

  • Hydropower: For which the Congo River is the main source, with an average flow rate 42,000 m3/s.
  • Biogas: Coming mainly from both plant and animal waste.
  • Solar: The DRC has noticeably high solar radiation averaging 6 kWh/m2/day.
  • Wind: There exist several potential hotspot for moderate wind power harnessing, where the wind speed averaging 6-6.6m/s.
    On the eastern parts of the DRC, there are many active volcanoes and geothermal sites, which significantly gives the country huge potential for this particular sort of energy.
  • Geothermal: On the eastern parts of the DRC, there are many active volcanoes and geothermal sites, which significantly gives the country huge potential for this particular sort of energy.


DRC's renewable energy share of the country's total final consumption 1990-2015 (Tracking SDG7, 2019)


The previous figure shows the rate which represents the ratio of the renewable energy consumption of the country's total final consumption from the 1990s until 2015. As shown, during that period, the renewables consumption has never been less than 92%, which comes mainly from hydropower.


Table: DRC's Total Renewable Capacity (MW) 2009-2018[8]
Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Capacity 2514 2514 2514 2514 2515 2516 2529 2551 2566 2750


DRC's energy consumption of different renewable sources during 2015 (Tracking SDG7, 2019)


Fossil Fuels

Key Problems of the Energy Sector

Policy Framework, Laws and Regulations

Institutional Set up in the Energy Sector

Other Key Actors / Activities of Donors, Implementing Agencies, Civil Society Organisations

Further Information

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Export. (2017). Congo (Democratic Republic of the) Country Commercial Guide. Retrieved from: https://www.export.gov/article?Id=Congo-Democratic-Republic-Energy
  2. 2.0 2.1 Reegle. (2012). Democratic Republic of Congo (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.reegle.info/policy-and-regulatory-overviews/CD
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bertule, M. Hansen, J.I. Karavai, M. Sandbukt, S. Staun, F. Wieben, E. & Lütken, S.E. (2013). Emissions Reduction Profile: Democratic Republic of Congo. Retrieved from: http://www.acp-cd4cdm.org/media/366216/emissions-reduction-profile-dr_congo.pdf
  4. Tracking SDG7. (2019). Congo (Dem. Rep. of). Retrieved from: https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/country/congo-dem-rep
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 African Energy Commission (AFREC). (2019). Africa Energy Database. Retrieved from: https://afrec-energy.org/Docs/En/PDF/2018/statistics_2018_afrec.pdf
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kusakana, K. (2016). A Review of Energy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306380971_A_Review_of_Energy_in_the_Democratic_Republic_of_Congo
  7. 7.0 7.1 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2019). The World Fact-book: Africa: Congo, Democratic Republic of the. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/Publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html
  8. Whiteman, A. Esparrago, J. Rueda, S. Elsayed, S. & Arkhipove, I. (2019). Renewable Energy Statistics 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2019/Mar/IRENA_RE_Capacity_Statistics_2019.pdf