“The lack of reliable generating capacity creates a serious roadblock when it comes to economic development and the ability of the DRC’s mining sector to realise anticipated growth rates,” says Victor Mallet, Africa-based sales director for APR Energy.

A new cross-border power deal between South Africa and the DRC in April will provide Congolese state-owned power company SNEL with an additional 200MW from Eskom, and is expected to support a 20% increase copper production by the end of 2017.

Even with this injection of power, a shortfall of approximately 950MW remains, according to the DRC’s Chamber of Mines. “That’s not likely to improve without the installation of new generating capacity or improvements to the power grid,” Mallet says. “At the moment, the DRC can only receive 200MW from Eskom because of grid constraints in the transmission network between the two countries.”

A number of transmission and generation projects are underway in the DRC to increase capacity as well as distribution capabilities. “Most recently, the DRC awarded a $30 million contract to upgrade transmission lines from the Inga hydropower station to the mining district of Katanga in the southeast of the country. A 4,800MW Inga 3 hydropower project also is planned, but recent reports say it won’t produce power until 2024 or 2025, rather than 2020 or 2021 as originally planned.”

According to Mallet, an improved transmission and distribution system creates an opportunity for mobile fast-track power to serve as a bridge until the Inga 3 hydropower project comes online. “Fast-track power solutions – using mobile power plants – can be installed and operational in as fast as 90 days, bringing guaranteed, scalable power from 10MW to 500MW or more, which is sufficient to power a small city and support a number of mining operations. Deploying fast-track power to booming and burgeoning regions of the DRC would serve as a magnet to attract additional investment and economic growth in developing areas.”

Mallet states that fast-track mobile power providers have the most to offer developing economies when they partner with permanent generation projects. “Mobile power installations are temporary facilities by definition. It is extremely important to be able to tie these solutions together as part of an integrated plan that provides access to reliable power now rather than waiting years for construction on a permanent power plant to be completed.”

APR Energy is the world’s leading provider of fast-track mobile turbine power. The company’s fast, flexible and full-service power solutions provide customers with rapid access to reliable electricity when and where they need it, for as long as they need it. Combining state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient technology with industry-leading expertise, APR Energy’s scalable turnkey plants help run cities, countries and industries around the world, in both developed and developing markets.

Over the past decade, APR Energy has installed over 1,000MW of generating capacity in 11 African countries. “Our fleet of GE 2500+ aeroderivative turbines can run on traditional fuels like natural gas and diesel as well as alternative fuels such as LPG, naphtha and kerosene. Just as important, they can switch seamlessly between fuels based on cost and availability,” he says.

“Mobile fast-track power has the capacity to accelerate the pace of economic growth in Africa by providing electricity now while – in parallel -- permanent generation is being installed and distribution networks are expanded and modernised. Now is the ideal time for countries like the DRC to partner with mobile fast-track power providers and the private sector to ensure they have the reliable generating capacity needed to support key industries such as the energy-intensive mining sector,” Mallet concludes.