HDEC

During the Labour Holiday that just passed, a team of engineers and technicians from HDEC has attracted much attention. They stick to Nigeria's largest hydropower project,the construction site of the Kainji Hydropower Station.

Their deeds were reported by Chinese official media, such as CGTN and CCTV-2 Financial Channel, let's follow the media lens, take a glimpse of the struggle of Chinese builders.

Renewal and Rehabilitation Project of Kainji Hydropower Station Units

The Kainji Hydropower Station in Nigeria is located in the Niger River Basin, with a total installed capacity of 760 MW. The continuation and restoration project of the Kainji Hydropower Station unit is generally contracted by HDEC. The construction content includes the installation of two 110 MW hydroelectric generating units in the existing No. 3 and No. 4 empty pits, and the restoration of the No. 9 hydroelectric generating unit, and underwater repair of the dam spillway. After the completion of the project, the installed capacity of the power station will reach 980 MW, which is of great significance to alleviate the power demand gap in Nigeria and promote the transformation of clean energy.

Chinese builders help Nigeria's largest hydropower station upgrade and expand capacity

Right now, a construction team composed of nearly 100 Chinese engineers and technicians is under construction of the Kainji Hydropower Station, the largest hydropower hub project in Nigeria.

The Kainji Hydropower Station is located in Niger State, Nigeria. It was built in the late 1960s and has always been the largest hydropower project in Nigeria. After more than 50 years of operation, many parts of the spillway of the hydropower station have been damaged to varying degrees. In March this year, a Chinese underwater construction team came here and began to repair the Kainji Hydropower Station.

From 2011 to 2016, POWERCHINA HDEC repaired three generating units of the Kainji Hydropower Station. In the absence of drawings and data of the generator set, the Chinese technicians completed the repair and update tasks through field measurements and reverse modeling. In the following eight years, these three units operated stably and continued to contribute more than half of the power generation of the power station.

In 2021, Kaianji Hydropower Station decided to build 2 new units and repair another 1 generating unit, and POWERCHINA HDEC won the bid again.

The construction and restoration of the Kainji Hydropower Station will be completed in 2027, when the total installed capacity will increase from 760 MW to 980 MW. Among them, the three units that Chinese companies helped to construct and repair will release 300 MW of electricity, which means adding 300,000 KW/h of electricity supply to Nigeria.

The head of the operator of the Kainji Hydropower Station, said that China's professional ability and level in the field of hydropower development and construction are in the leading position in the world. China's technical and financing support to Africa will have a profound impact on Africa's energy supply and economic development.

They further emphasized, "Without electricity, the economy cannot develop. One of the main problems Nigeria is currently facing is the lack of sufficient and high-quality electricity. Therefore, POWERCHINA is not only here to contract and leave, or just let us have electricity. It has a profound impact on many aspects of Nigeria's economy. I think we will benefit a lot from cooperation with China."