INGA FALLS

The hydroelectric dam on the Congo River at Inga Falls, near Matadi, Democratic Republic of the rapids on the lower Congo River and site of one of the world's largest hydroelectric-dam projects, in western Congo (Kinshasa), about 25 miles (40 km) above the port of Matadi. At a sharp bend in the river between Sikila Island and the mouth of the Bundi River (a Congo River tributary), the Congo falls 315 feet (96 m) in 9 miles (14 km) and flows at a rate of about 1,500,000 cubic feet (43,000 cubic m) per second. The first phase of the hydroelectric project, completed in 1972, provides power for a uranium-enrichment facility at the site. The second phase, constructed in conjunction with a high-tension transmission line to Katanga province in southeastern Congo and completed in 1979, was designed to supply electricity for Katanga's industries. The third and most ambitious phase was to involve blocking the river's flow and creating a large reservoir.