Souapiti hydropower plant in Guinea commissions first power unit

The Souapiti hydropower plant in Guinea, constructed by China International Water & Electric Corp. (CWE), a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), completed the 72-hour trial operation of its first power unit on November 8 local time and connected it to the grid to later the day.

Dubbed "the Three Gorges Project in West Africa", the Souapiti hydropower complex is a key project for people's livelihood in Guinea or even West Africa. The project adopts the EPC model (engineering, procurement and construction) and CWE, also one of its investors, is the contractor for the construction works. The Suapiti hydropower plant has a total installed capacity of 450 MW with an annual average output of 1.899 billion kWh.

Upon completion, the hydropower plant will significantly ease the shortage of electricity supply in Guinea, thus powering the industrialization of the country. It can also supply electricity to surrounding countries such as Senegal, Mali and Guinea-Bissau through the West African interconnected grid, benefiting more people in the region.