Kinshasa — Power production in the Democratic Republic of Congo could fall by nearly half in the next dry season as scarce rainfall has left the Congo River at its lowest level in more than a century, the state generating company said on Wednesday. Water levels in the Congo — Africa’s second longest river, normally its deepest and a vital artery across the centre of the continent — have fallen 50% compared to last year, said Medard Kitakani, spokesman for the national utility SNEL. This meant levels for the November to February period were at their lowest in more than 100 years, he told Reuters. SNEL currently produces about 850MW of power and "if there is not an improvement in the levels of rainfall, there is a risk that we will lose 350MW to 400MW" during the dry season, Kitakani said. The dry season runs from May to September. Kitakani was unable to say how much power production typically falls during this period, but said the potential drop was unusually severe. The country’s en...
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