Chinese enterprises help B&R countries to develop infrastructure

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward in 2013, Chinese enterprises have been assisting countries along the Belt and Road route with the construction of new infrastructure including railways, highways, bridges and hydropower stations.

The Gibb 3 hydropower station, the largest of its kind in Africa and the biggest energy project in Ethiopia, was built by a Chinese company. It is now known as the “Three Gorges" of Africa. The station has 10 Francis-type water turbine generator units, all of which were made in China. It took just 10 months for all the units to be put into use, with one new unit inaugurated every month. This pace set a world record for the construction of hydropower projects.

Due to the high efficiency of the Chinese company in charge of construction, the Gibb 3 hydropower station has helped Ethiopia to recover from a power shortage. There is still a considerable amount of power left in the country for foreign exchange.

China currently ranks first in the world for hydropower construction and equipment manufacturing. Apart from the undertaking in Ethiopia, the Sinohydro Corporation has also built major projects including a hydropower station in Nepal, the Bakun hydropower station in Malaysia and the Merowe hydropower station in Sultan, bringing many tangible benefits to the host countries.