She was speaking at a media briefing held at the Africa-European Union Energy Partnership’s first stakeholder forum in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The hydro-electric project could become the largest hydro-electric project in the world and is expected to generate 40 000MW of electricity – which is more than the current electricity generation in South Africa.

Modise said the South African team was being led by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation and included the Department of Public Enterprises, National Treasury as well as the Department of Energy.

She said the project, to be undertaken in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), would help more South Africans access electricity and would boost regional integration.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Barbara Thompson, said the department’s IRP strategy was already being implemented, with both the first and second phases of the Independent Power Producers (IPP) process having being conducted.

Modise added that the Finnish and Austrian governments were funding nine energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in South Africa.

The Africa-EU Energy Partnership was created in 2007 and is a partnership between business, government and civil society to discuss sustainable energy.

The partnership has 54 African and European members and this is the first stakeholder forum, which runs today and tomorrow, at which members will discuss the implementation of achieving the 2020 targets.