Below are some of the major infrastructure projects underway, planned or under development in Africa in 2021.
1. Grand Inga Dam: Congo
The Grand Inga Dam is the world’s largest planned hydroelectric project and is being built on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Supporting the development of power systems across the continent is fundamental to this country’s grand vision.
The project is expected to generate 40,000MW of electricity. This is enough to power almost half the continent and is almost twice the size of China’s Three Gorges Dam. It is estimated that approximately US$80 billion will be required to complete the project. This would require laying power lines across the continent.
2. Dangote Refinery: Nigeria
The Dangote refinery project is on track to become the world’s largest single refinery. The facility in Nigeria will have a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, boosting economic growth and creating thousands of jobs.
The refinery project will cost a whopping US$14 billion, and once completed, the planned refinery and petrochemical complex will account for half of the vast wealth of Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man. The country’s oil exports are also expected to increase, reducing its dependence on petroleum product imports. In September 2020, Construct Africa reported that the majority of the project’s refinery heavy components were delivered to site by heavy lift and transportation contractor Mammoet.
3. Bagamoyo Port: Tanzania
Bagamoyo port in Tanzania is expected to be the largest in East and Central Africa. Tanzania, China and Oman are collaborating on this project. The port is being built by state-owned China Merchants Ports, and an Omani sovereign wealth fund will establish a 1,700-hectare special economic zone next to it.
The port project is expected to cost US$10 billion and is expected to take approximately 30 years to complete to reach its full potential. The port can handle 20 times more cargo than the country’s largest port in Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam.
4. New capital: Egypt
Rising above the desert sands, Egypt’s shiny new capital will bring a breath of fresh air to Cairo, where a growing population is straining existing infrastructure.
The smart city is located 45 kilometers east of Cairo and consists of 21 residential districts and 25 commercial districts. The city will have a recreational park twice the size of New York City’s Central Park, a 90 square kilometer solar energy farm, and several man-made lakes. In the first phase, the new capital is expected to attract a population of 7 million people.
5. Konza Technology City: Kenya
Konza Technology City is a smart city project to be built in the eastern part of the country. The project is part of the country’s Vision 2030 blueprint and is expected to create approximately 17,000 direct high-value jobs and a further 68,000 indirect jobs upon completion.
The project, located 64 kilometers south of Nairobi, is modeled after Silicon Valley in the United States, hence the nickname “Africa’s Silicon Savannah.” It primarily targets business process outsourcing, software development, data centers, disaster recovery centers, call centers, light industry, and research institutions. The total cost of the project is USD 14.5 billion.
6. Standard Gauge Railway: Kenya
Kenya is spending US$9.9 billion to build a 969-kilometre standard gauge railway from Mombasa to Malaba. It is being touted as one of Africa’s largest and most ambitious transport infrastructure projects.
The first phase of the project, which spans 472 kilometers from Mombasa to Nairobi, was completed at a cost of USD 3.27 billion, while the 2A phase, which spans 120 kilometers from Nairobi to Naivasha, was completed at a cost of USD 1.5 billion. The rail line will be extended to Kisumu and is expected to cost $3.7 billion.
7. New Railway: Lagos-Calabar
The 1,400km Lagos-Calabar Railway will cost US$10 billion and is undoubtedly one of Africa’s major infrastructure projects.
The project was originally contracted to a Chinese company, but since China was unable to raise the necessary funds, it is now being carried out by US-based Ameri Metro.
Once completed, the Lagos-Calabar Railway will link the cities of Port Harcourt, Uyo and Aba, facilitating the movement of goods and services across the region.
8. Hydropower Project: Nigeria
Nigeria is building a giant hydroelectric dam to increase energy production. The Mambilla Hydroelectric Project has been planned for more than 30 years and is one of Africa’s largest construction projects.
China’s Sinohydro’s $5.8 billion Mambilla hydropower project will be connected to three dams on the Donga River in Nigeria’s Taraba state. The total installed power capacity of this facility will be 3,050MW. In May 2020, ConstructAfrica reported that an arbitration case that had caused project delays had been settled.
9. Grand Dam: Ethiopia
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, formerly known as the Millennium Dam, is a gravity dam under construction on the Blue Nile River in Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia.
Work on the 6,000 MW dam began in 2011 and is currently 70% complete, well short of the planned July 2017 completion date. When completed, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa and the seventh largest in the world.
It is estimated that it will take 5 to 15 years for the reservoir to fill with water. However, Egypt and Sudan are embroiled in a dispute with Ethiopia over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt and Sudan, both located downstream of Ethiopia on the Nile River, are concerned about water supplies and see the project as a threat.
Learn more about the current African construction industry
The more you know about Africa’s construction industry, the more you can benefit from ongoing project opportunities. There are many other projects and more are expected to start soon.
If you want to stay up to date with the latest news on the many development projects in Africa featured here, stay tuned to ConstructAfrica today. We bring you the latest and freshest developments in the construction industry from across the continent. Subscribe now.
