African Countries With the Largest Hydroelectric Power Plants

Africa’s hydropower story isn’t just about big dams. It’s about politics, climate risk, export potential and where real investment opportunities in Africa lie. Below are some of Africa’s biggest hydropower assets, what they are, what they could be, and what that means for investors.

Major Players Today

Country	Plant / Complex	Installed / Nameplate Capacity*	Operational status & notes
Ethiopia	Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)	~ 5,150 MW	Inaugurated Sept 9, 2025; now Africa’s largest hydropower plant by installed capacity. Full potential reached with all turbines commissioned. Export potential depends on transmission & legal/regional agreements.
DR Congo	Inga (I & II) + Grand Inga potential	I & II combined ≈ 1,775 MW; technical potential ~ 42,000 MW	Inga I and II are operational but generally under capacity / require rehab. Grand Inga is a multistage, proposed complex; huge potential, but many hurdles (financing, environmental/social/governance) remain.
Mozambique	Cahora Bassa	~ 2,075 MW	Operational since 1970s; undergoing modernization and rehabilitation to ensure reliability and extend life. Supplies Mozambique & exports regionally.
Zambia / Zimbabwe	Kariba Dam (North + South)	~ 2,130 MW	Strong installed capacity but generation is variable, tied to water levels, rehabilitation efforts, and downstream hydrology. Operated by the Zambezi River Authority.
Sudan	Merowe Dam	~ 1,250 MW	Operational (since ~2009); important for Sudan’s grid; subject to hydrology, transmission constraints.

1. Ethiopia — Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD): ~5,150 MW (operational)
Ethiopia’s GERD has just changed the scoreboard. The project reached full commercial output in 2025 and is now the continent’s largest operational hydro plant at about 5,150 MW. That level of output pushes Ethiopia into a new league for power exports and industrial electrification, though the diplomatic row with Egypt and Sudan over Nile flows remains unresolved.

2. Democratic Republic of Congo — Inga complex (existing + potential): Inga I & II ≈1,775 MW; Grand Inga potential ≈ 42,000 MW (site potential)
DRC’s Inga site already hosts Inga I (351 MW) and Inga II (1,424 MW). Those plants are small compared with the Grand Inga concept, which the World Bank and planners describe as uniquely massive, technical potential on the order of ~42,000 MW if fully realized. Grand Inga would be transformational, but right now it’s a potential, not an operational fact; financing, design and phased delivery remain major hurdles.

3. Mozambique — Cahora Bassa: ~2,075 MW
Cahora Bassa is the backbone of southern African hydropower, supplying neighbors and domestic grids. Its installed capacity is widely recorded as ~2,075 MW and the operator has been rolling out rehabilitation and modernization work to secure output and extend life. That makes it both a strategic asset for regional supply and an interesting candidate for infrastructure investment tied to rehabilitation contracts. 

4. Zambia / Zimbabwe — Kariba (Kariba North & South): ≈2,130 MW (installed)
Kariba’s combined plant capacity between the north (Zambia) and south (Zimbabwe) banks is about 2.1 GW by official Zambezi River Authority figures. Output has been volatile though, drought and deferred rehab have limited generation at times, so capacity and actual generation diverge depending on water levels and maintenance status. 

5.Sudan — Merowe Dam: ~ 1,250 MW
Operational (since ~2009); important for Sudan’s grid; subject to hydrology, transmission constraints. 

* “Installed capacity / nameplate” = max output under ideal conditions. Real generation is usually lower.

Other Notable Plants

• Gilgel Gibe III (Ethiopia): ~ 1,870 MW. One of the larger pre-GERD installations.
• Akosombo (Ghana): ~ 1,020 MW. Powers both domestic grid and regions along the coast.
• Tekeze (Ethiopia): ~ 300 MW. Part of Ethiopia’s upstream cascade in the Nile/Blue Nile basin.

What This Really Means for Investment and Business Opportunities in Africa

Here are the patterns and implications that investors, developers, and policymakers need to understand:

1. Scale + political/geographic risk.
   Big plants change the scorecard. GERD leaps Ethiopia into a new category in terms of potential exporting and industrial power. But international relations (with Egypt and Sudan, in GERD’s case), treaties, and downstream effects matter a lot. What this means: you can’t assume export income or political stability.
2. Rehabilitation & modernization are near-term gold.
   Plants like Cahora Bassa and Kariba already exist, but many systems are aged or underperforming. Upgrades of turbines, control systems, spillways, transmission lines, these are concrete contracts. Low technical risk relative to greenfield mega-projects.
3. Mega-projects are speculative but attract attention.
   Grand Inga is not operational. It’s a multi-phase vision that could generate ~ 42,000 MW in total, but won’t happen in one go. For most realistic value now, look at Inga III or other phases, or export corridors linked to such projects. Projects of this scale also always carry environmental, social, and financing risk.
4. Climate risk & hydrology are non-negotiable.
   Droughts, changing rainfall, sedimentation, upstream land use: all affect generation. GERD will have seasonal variation; Kariba has already been hit by low inflows. Investment deals / contracts must build in hydrological risk (e.g. drought years), storage/reservoir sizing, and complementary sources (solar, wind) or flexibility.
5. Opportunity beyond turbines.
   Beyond building dams, there are strong opportunities in: transmission (especially cross-border / HVDC links), grid stability, operations & maintenance, turbine / generator supply chains, environmental & social mitigation, and monitoring systems. That’s where margins often are higher and risks more manageable.

Short Verdict & Recommendations

• GERD reset the continent’s leaderboards in 2025. It is now Africa’s largest installed hydropower plant.
• Grand Inga remains probably the continent’s ultimate hydropower prize, but only if it clears finance, governance, environmental, and social hurdles.
• For near-term investors, rehabilitations, export-link infrastructure, grid upgrades, risk-sharing in contracts (especially climate/hydrology risk) are safer plays.

If you’re asking where business opportunities in Africa sit around hydropower: think beyond turbines. Grid upgrades, HVDC export links, storage pairings, operations & maintenance, and localized supply chains are where margins and impact meet. Governments want partners; multilaterals want de-risked projects; private capital wants predictable cashflows. Align those three and you can legitimately say you’re ready to invest in Africa energy infrastructure.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as investment, financial, engineering, or legal advice. While sources are cited, figures and project details may change over time. Readers should verify with official energy agencies, government publications, or professional advisors before relying on this information.

Source Annotations & Key Updates:

• GERD’s ~5,150 MW capacity and inauguration: major news sources (Reuters, Tractebel, Webuild) confirm this. We Build Value+3Reuters+3Tractebel+3
• Grand Inga’s technical potential (~42,000 MW) and Inga I + II figures are according to the World Bank and recent press releases about the Inga 3 development program. World Bank+2Early Warning System+2
• Cahora Bassa’s 2,075 MW capacity is confirmed by Mozambican operator and recent modernization project announcements. ANDRITZ+2Wikipedia+2
• Kariba’s 2,130 MW installed capacity is confirmed by official Zambezi River Authority documentation and rehabilitation program documents. International Partnerships+2zambezira.org+2
• Merowe’s 1,250 MW is well documented (officially operational, turbine count, reservoir capacity). Wikipedia+2China Global Development Dashboard+2
• Power Technology+3Wikipedia+3ANDRITZ+3
• China Global Development Dashboard+2Wikipedia+2
• World Bank+1
• Power Technology+1
• zambezira.org+1

FAQ

1. What is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa?
As of September 2025, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Ethiopia holds the title. With a nameplate capacity of about 5,150 MW, it overtook Egypt’s Aswan High Dam and the Kariba complex to become the continent’s biggest hydropower plant. Its size puts Ethiopia at the center of Africa’s hydropower map though output still depends on Nile flows and transmission links.

2. What country has the largest hydroelectric power plant?
That would be Ethiopia, thanks to GERD. The dam sits on the Blue Nile and, once fully commissioned in 2025, became the largest single hydro project in Africa. Beyond size, it’s a strategic lever for Ethiopia’s domestic electrification and potential electricity exports to neighbors.

3. Who owns the biggest power plant in Africa?
The GERD is state-owned. The Ethiopian government, through the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEP), owns and operates the project. It was financed largely from domestic sources (bonds, public contributions) after foreign financing stalled over political disputes.

4. Which country has the largest dam in Africa?
If we talk about dam size and structure, Egypt’s Aswan High Dam is still the most famous, stretching nearly four kilometers across the Nile with a reservoir (Lake Nasser) that can store 132 cubic kilometers of water. If we’re talking installed hydro capacity, Ethiopia’s GERD is larger. In short: Aswan is Africa’s largest dam by volume and reservoir, while GERD is Africa’s largest hydropower plant.

5. How do the top hydro plants in Africa compare in size and output?

• GERD (Ethiopia): 5,150 MW installed (largest).
• Kariba (Zambia/Zimbabwe): ~2,130 MW, but real output fluctuates with drought.
• Cahora Bassa (Mozambique): ~2,075 MW, a backbone of Southern Africa’s grid.
• Aswan High Dam (Egypt): ~2,100 MW, older but still vital for Egypt’s grid.
• Merowe (Sudan): ~1,250 MW, a major Nile Basin project.

*Installed numbers are straightforward, but actual generation depends heavily on rainfall, river flow, and how well plants are maintained.

6. How is hydropower capacity distributed across Africa?
Hydropower is unevenly spread.

• Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda): Ethiopia dominates with GERD and Gilgel Gibe series.
• Southern Africa (Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe): Anchored by Cahora Bassa and Kariba.
• North Africa (Egypt, Morocco): Egypt’s Aswan remains central; Morocco uses smaller hydro plus renewables.
• West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria): Akosombo (1,020 MW) and Kainji (~760 MW) anchor grids, but hydro share is smaller compared with thermal and gas.

Overall, Africa has ~38 GW of installed hydropower, but only a fraction of its technical potential (estimated at over 300 GW) is tapped. That gap explains why international lenders and governments keep circling around big projects.