How much electricity does Kinshasa use?

Residential electricity consumers are concentrated in Kinshasa and a few other large cities in the South or along the Eastern border with Rwanda and Uganda. Average annual demand per capita in Kinshasa is estimated at around 380 kWh, compared with around 330 kWh in Southern cities and 290 kWh in Eastern cities.

Why does Kinshasa have a low power supply?

This is due mainly to the saturation of the Kinshasa distribution grid and capacity limitations for Inga 1 and 2 power plants. Power injected into the network is currently limited to about 500 MW, whereas peak demand is estimated at 1000 MW9.

What is the main priority for the Democratic Republic of Congo's power sector?

The main priority for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s power sector is to increase access to electricity. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a large country with 10 million households of which 1.6 million have access to electricity. This makes it the third largest population in the world without access to electricity.

Is Snel still a key contributor to electricity access in Kinshasa?

SNEL, the national utility, remains a critical contributor to electricity access, in particular in Kinshasa, but is caught in a vicious cycle of mounting commercial losses, deteriorating assets and mounting debt.

How will rising demand affect electricity service in Kinshasa?

If this rising demand is not met with an increase in supply and improvements to electricity infrastructure, it will lead to further deterioration of electricity service. In Kinshasa, while 60% of the population has access to electricity, service quality and reliability is very poor.

Does metering affect electricity consumption in Kinshasa?

A campaign to install conventional and prepayment meters for 22,900 new connections was carried out in the Kimbanseke and Kisenso districts of Kinshasa. Moreover, electricity connections are made by land plot containing several customers, but because of lack of metering, actual consumption is unknown.