Congo has announced that it will invite more countries into Western Power Corridor Co. (Westcor), the regional partnership that plans to build the USD 5 billion Inga 3 hydropower plant on Africa's biggest river.

At a regional summit held in Kinshasa, Mr Bene M’Poko, the Congolese ambassador to South Africa, asked all 15 members of the Southern African Development Community to join Westcor.

The Congo will also urge SADC to include the proposed USD 80 billion Grand Inga project into its plans to boost regional electricity supplies, Mr M’Poko said. Last year the Congolese government suggested the Grand Inga project replace the Inga 3 project after the country’s energy needs grew. Grand Inga would generate 40,000MWs, enough to power the entire continent of Africa.