NAIROBI, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- China has made great contributions to narrowing Africa's power deficit, a perennial problem that still leaves two thirds of the population in sub-Saharan Africa without access to reliable electricity supply.
In 2017, Chinese firms have successfully built or are in the process of building many hydro-power plants across the continent.
These projects are located in a good many African countries including Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).
When all projects are finished, they are expected to create nearly 3,700 MW of electricity for the continent. (1 MW=1,000 KW)
The construction of all these projects have also created tens of thousands of jobs for the locals.
The following is a list of six Chinese-constructed hydro-power plants, some of which are already commissioned, or still under construction in 2017.
1. Soubre hydroelectric power station, Cote d'Ivoire
Photo taken on Nov. 2, 2017 shows the Chinese-built Soubre hydroelectric power station. Cote d'Ivoire on Thursday inaugurated the Chinese-built Soubre hydroelectric power station, the largest of its kind in the West African country. The project has a total installed capacity of 275 MW. (Xinhua/Li Baishun)
2. Kariba South Expansion Project, Zimbabwe
Photo taken on June 3, 2017 shows Kariba Dam in Kariba, Zimbabwe. Work on Kariba South Expansion Project by Sinohydro, China's power engineering and construction heavyweight, is now 85 percent complete and the first unit is expected to come on stream in December 2017 while the second one will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2018. The expansion will add another 300 megawatts into the national grid. (Xinhua/Chen Yaqin)
3. Isimba Power Plant Project, Uganda
Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2017 shows the construction site of Isimba Power Plant Project in Kayunga district, Uganda. As River Nile, the longest in the world, snakes through central Uganda, Chinese engineers and their local counterparts are constructing a multi-million U.S. dollar power plant on its bank in the remote Kayunga district. The plant has an installed capacity of 183 MW. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)
4. Karuma Hydro Power Project, Uganda
Photo taken on Sept. 6, 2017 shows a view of the Karuma Hydro Power Project site in Kiryandongo district, Western Uganda. The 1.4 billion dollar Karuma Power Plant along River Nile in northern Uganda is being financed by the Chinese government and is the first underground power plant in the East African region. When completed, the plant is expected to provide over 600MW of electricity. (Xinhua/Zhang Gaiping)
5. Zongo II hydro-power plant, DR Congo
About 160 km from DR Congo's capital Kinshasa, the Zongo II hydro-power plant is being constructed by Chinese firm Sinohydro with financing from the Export-Import Bank of China. The project, when finished, will add 150 MW of electricity to the country. (Xinhua/Wang Bo)
6. Caculo Cabaca Hydropower Project, Angola
Then Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos (front) inaugurated the construction of the Caculo Cabaca Hydropower Project in Dondo, Angola on Aug. 4, 2017. Located at the North Kwanza province, the hydropower project will be constructed by China Gezhouba Group Co., Ltd. The project has a total contractual value of 4.5 billion U.S. dollars and has a planned installed capacity of 2,172 megawatts. The project will be completed within 80 months, and during the peak construction period nearly 10,000 jobs are expected to be provided for the locals. (Xinhua)
