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Sinohydro Stops Work on Zambia Hydroelectric Dam

by Eric Olander

Citing “difficulties beyond its control” (translation: they haven’t been paid), China’s state-owned Sinohydro has stopped work building the 750mw Kafue Gorge hydroelectric dam in Zambia, dealing a major blow for the country’s drive for energy self-sufficiency and the livelihoods of thousands of workers on the project.

The Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station (see graphic above) was among a number of Chinese-funded energy projects underway in Zambia. In this particular case, the Kafue plant is funded through a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Zambian government and the country’s power company ZESCO and financed through a $2 billion loan from China’s Exim Bank.

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