Mapping the energy potential in the DRC: Methodology

To improve access to information on energy resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Resource Matters compiled and compared available data on different energy sites and power plants. After verification, this database was transformed into a free, interactive online map. Users can download the data and use it according to their needs.

To create this resource, the team drew on around 20 different databases and lists of energy sites in the DRC. During the process of comparing information from the Ministry of Energy and Hydraulic Resources, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other sources, several challenges emerged:

• Incomplete coordinates: Of the 1,206 sites identified, no coordinates could be found for 551 of them – including some listed in the studies that informed the UNDP Atlas (2014 and 2016 editions).
• Unverifiable locations: For sites with geographic coordinates (655 sites), about 38% (208 sites) could not be located on Google Satellite. For example, many hydroelectric sites appeared far from any potential water source. This indicates that significant GPS verification work is still needed to validate the locations of potential sites.
• Contradictory data: We found numerous inconsistencies between sources regarding energy potential, installed capacity, water flow, and head height.
• Outdated studies: To our knowledge, there are very few recent in-depth studies of energy sites. Most prefeasibility studies date back to the colonial era or the Zairian period. Even for some sites currently under development, hydraulic data is sometimes over 50 years old and therefore of poor quality.

While the DRC’s energy wealth is widely acknowledged, it is not yet sufficiently documented to enable its full development. Public or private investors in the energy sector often face unexpected realities on the ground: in some cases, water flow is far greater than estimated; in others, the river has completely dried up, making development impossible.

A rigorous and comprehensive study of potential energy resources, officially released to a broad audience, is essential. This would improve national energy planning and attract more investors with the necessary information to develop new energy sites.

For more details on methodology, sources used, and acronyms in the map, download the full briefing note available in french only.