The Republic of Congo (ROC) previously imported 50% of its energy from its neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); however, increased hydropower output has decreased its dependence on power imports.
In May 2011, the China Machinery Engineering Corp. (CMEC) completed the Imboulou Hydroelectric Power Station. The 120 MW plant took seven years to construct with an investment of $280 million, but is currently only producing around 876 million kWh annually. The plant consists of four 30-MW units and is four times that of China’s largest hydrodam, the Three Gorges Project.
With an estimated 600 Chinese technicians and engineers involved in the project, the company also hired on over 2,000 Congolese. CMEC has provided a city within the project for employees including 45 new buildings, a hotel, restaurant, free health center, school, and other social facilities. On the company website, it said at the end of April: “CMEC will continue the intensive effort in Congo-Brazzavill, create welfare for the local community, contribute to the motherland, and compose new movements of the friendship between China and Congo-Brazzavill.” The Sinomach Group subsidiary is also involved in projects exceeding $1 billion in Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sudan.
And in the country’s latest move to meet local energy demand, a new hydropower plant was announced. The 19.2 MW scheme to be constructed on the Liouesso Lengoué River was awarded to another Chinese company, China Gezhouba Group Co. Ltd. The project is expected to take two years to be complete with CMEC constructing the 90 km, 110 kV transmission line.
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