From the photovoltaic power station project in the Central African Republic to the wind power station project in Ethiopia, and then to the hydropower station project in Uganda, China has done its best to share green development experience with African countries and provide practical support in terms of technology and capacity building.

So far, within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China has implemented hundreds of clean energy and green development projects in Africa, helping Africa to take the road of green and sustainable development.

Bangui is brightly lit

In Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, a local, Srit, has opened a small restaurant. For more than 3 years, he has been hoping that the opening hours will be longer in the evening, and now his dream has finally come true. "Bangi's night has never been so bright!" Seeing the lights of thousands of homes flashing in the night, Sleet's joy was beyond words.

As a result of many turmoils, the Central African Republic's national infrastructure, especially the power supply system, has been severely damaged. Only 8% of the population has access to electricity, and Bangui has only 35% electricity, and there are multiple power outages throughout the day.

During the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September 2018, China and the Central African Republic reached a consensus on the China-aided photovoltaic power station project. This project is listed as a leading bilateral cooperation project, and it is also the largest livelihood project in the Central African Republic. The project includes a new 15 MW solar photovoltaic power station, a 63 kV booster station, a 5 MWh energy storage system and supporting power transmission and transformation lines.

On June 15, 2022, the China Energy Construction Group Tianjin Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd. aided the China-Africa photovoltaic power station project - Sakai photovoltaic power station to achieve grid-connected power generation. Thanks to this project, about two-thirds of households in Bangui now have access to electricity, and the time for power cuts has been greatly shortened. "In the past, this area only provided electricity for 6 hours a day. Now the electricity supply time is more than 12 hours. The public lighting at night is also on, and my business has improved a lot."

During the construction process, the photovoltaic power station project has created more than 700 local jobs. The five members of the wiring worker Gevitrey are all working on the project. Evis is a carpenter on the project and is proud of his participation in the project construction. "The area where my family is located sometimes has power outages for up to a month. We bring light.

The Prime Minister of the Central African Republic, Felix Mollwa, congratulated the project on the grid-connected power generation: "Thank you to all the staff of the project for their hard work and dedication. This green project is an important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and it is also a sign of the deepening of friendly cooperation between China and Africa. Another landmark achievement.”

As Bangui develops, electricity consumption will increase in the future. To this end, the Chinese side has reserved about 3,000 square meters of open space next to the booster station as the outlet interval. If necessary, a new transmission grid can be installed to further increase the power supply.

Chinese technology approaches Aisha

Huge white windmills turn with the wind in the vast Gobi desert in Aisha, Ethiopia's Somali state. As the only power station project in eastern Ethiopia, the Aisha wind power station project undertaken by China Dongfang Electric Group International Cooperation Co., Ltd. is continuously injecting green kinetic energy into the local development.

Recalling the scene when the first wind turbine was successfully hoisted more than 3 years ago, 35-year-old Ethiopian installation worker Nicos Fanta still remembers: "The huge wind wheel was slowly hoisted and turned over in the air first. 90 degrees, then continue to lift upward, and finally connect with the generator precisely. This is Chinese technology!"

The total installed capacity of the Aisha wind power station project is 120 MW. Since the start of construction in May 2018, the project has completed the installation and commissioning of 32 wind turbines (sets) with a single unit capacity of 2.5 MW, and some of them have been connected to the grid for power generation. After all 48 wind turbines (sets) are put into use, it is expected to provide 467 million kWh of clean electricity every year, providing stable electricity for the Asia-Djibouti Railway and the economic corridor along the line, Dire Dawa Industrial Park and neighboring Djibouti.

Talking about the gains from the project, Nicholas Fanta is very grateful to his Chinese colleagues. "The Chinese master took the trouble to demonstrate how to use the tensioner and hydraulic torque wrench to tighten the bolts over and over again until I fully learned and could operate independently." Previously, Nigus Fanta had been engaged in simple manual labor, "On the project, I participated in mechanic training, learned theoretical knowledge and hoisting techniques, and I will be able to find a job in the future."

Mulukan is the site manager for the Aisha wind farm project. He has worked in the power industry for more than 20 years and has extensive management experience. He said that this is the first wind power station in Somalia, which will "vigorously improve the quality of power supply, improve the stability of grid voltage, especially in Ethiopia's dry and windy season, which can make up for the lack of hydropower generation".

"Cooperation with China can not only help us develop Africa's abundant green energy resources, but African countries can also learn from China's clean energy development experience." said Costantinos, a professor at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. With advanced equipment and mature technologies in hydropower and other fields, Ethiopia and China have great potential and far-reaching significance for cooperation in the field of clean energy.

Uganda Ecological Restoration

In the Kiryandongo region of central and western Uganda, a 300-meter-wide dam stands majestically on the main stream of the White Nile, pouring down through a tunnel. In October 2022, the Karuma Hydropower Station project undertaken by POWERCHINA will realize the first unit to generate electricity. The 600,000-kilowatt hydropower station will become the largest power generation facility in Uganda when it is put into use.

Uganda has one of the lowest electricity consumption per capita in the world, with only about 15% of the population using electricity from the national grid. After the Karuma Hydropower Project is connected to the grid, the total installed power generation capacity in Uganda will reach 2,000 MW, with an annual power generation of about 4.073 billion kWh, saving about 1.31 million tons of raw coal. According to estimates by the Ugandan government, after the Karuma hydropower station is put into operation, the electricity price in Uganda is expected to be reduced by 17.5%, making electricity more affordable for more people.

"The Karuma Hydropower Station uses runoff to divert water to generate electricity, and does not require immigration, which has little damage to the ecological environment." Jiang Xiaodong, chief representative of POWERCHINA in Uganda, said that compared with other power facilities, the hydropower station has low operating costs, facilitates power peak regulation, and is conducive to improving the Water resource utilization and comprehensive socio-economic benefits.

Not far from the Karuma Hydropower Station is the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. The 3,840-square-kilometer land is home to a variety of wild animals such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes, and more. "From the preliminary design to the actual construction of the hydropower station, the protection of environmentally sensitive areas has been fully considered." Kenneth Geneji, a local civil engineer who participated in the construction of the project, sighed.

For example, Geneji said that in order to reduce the impact on wild animals, the project specially designed animal migration passages and sidewalks when constructing permanent roads across the national park. In order to reduce the impact on the ecology, the project arranges generator sets, large transformers, gas-insulated substation control equipment, etc. in the cavern group at a depth of 80 meters below the ground, and at the same time preserves the original vegetation to the greatest extent during the construction process...

Tony, a local lawyer in charge of the project's legal affairs, said: "The Karuma Hydropower Station project has always adhered to the concept of green development and strictly abides by Ugandan laws, regulations and customs." He specifically mentioned that during the construction of the permanent road in the national park, even if the time is tight and the task is tight "The project team still insists on doing environmental assessment first, and then starts construction and restoration, and has made great efforts to protect the ecology."

Recently, the Uganda Tourism Board said it plans to turn the Karuma hydropower station into a tourist destination. Lily, the head of the Tourism Bureau, said: "The Karuma Hydropower Station will add more vitality to Uganda's economic development and continue to promote the vigorous development of Uganda's tourism industry."Editor/Ma Xue