ICYMI: 7 Myths Debunked About Chinese Engagement in Africa’s Hydroelectric Market

File image of Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that involves a number of Chinese companies in construction, support, and power transmission. Photo via CGTN

For some additional context about Chinese energy engagement in Africa, particularly in the hydroelectric sector where the role of various Chinese stakeholders is often overstated and exaggerated, it’s worthwhile to refer back to a paper written in 2017 by China-Africa Research Initiative Director Deborah Brautigam and Ohio State University PhD student Jyhjong Hwang.

The two scholars looked through what was then a new, verified dataset of 100 Chinese hydroelectric projects in Africa and concluded that “Chinese engagement in African hydropower is often overestimated in both numbers and value.”

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by Eric Olander

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