The Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC), a Chinese base company specializing in the construction of hydroelectric power stations plans to construct two hydroelectric power stations in Gabon.
Besides constructing 3 Gorges Dam in China, the power company is renowned corporation for constructing the largest hydroelectric dam in the world in terms of production capacity
The Chinese firm delegation have already met up with the Gabon’s Water Resources Minister. The two parties have negotiated on the construction of the FE2-Mitzic power station in Northern Gabon and another one at the Empress Ngounie Falls located in the southern region of the country.
CGGC has committed to fund the US$200m power project. However, the government is yet to secure funding for the project whose objective is to provide electricity to the people living in 3 of Gabon’s 9 provinces.
Poubara hydroelectric dam, one of Gabon’s power station was initially funded by the Chinese government and constructed by Sinohydro Corporation.
The company is a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company. The construction on the project began in November 2008 and the power station was commissioned on 5 August 2013. Poubara hydroelectric dam is located at southeast region of Haut Ogooue. Enditem.
The 160-MW Grand Poubara hydroelectric plant was constructed in two phases for a period of 56 months. The project is presently fulfilling its purpose of boosting the economic and social development of the country.
The development of the plant will reduce the reliance of diesel generators in Gabon, reducing the high capital costs to businesses of operating in the country by maintaining the grid voltage and reducing the need to import the generators key components, saving valuable foreign exchange.
Electricity demand in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, and its surrounds is estimated to be at 183 MW, the demand is expected to increase at about 6% to 8% annually. Hydropower provides about 75% of the West African nation’s electricity, and Gabon has about 6,000MW of undeveloped hydro power potential.
However, government of Gabon has plans to construct new hydroelectric dams, gas powered thermal plants and a heavy fuel power station in order to increase its national power production from 374 MW to 1,200 MW by 2020. The power plants construction plan is to achieve universal electricity access, with excess power to be exported to neighboring countries in central Africa.
