When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...
Category: Hydro Power
Why a Geopolitical Megadam Sparks Panic in India but Barely a Murmur in China
In July, China quietly launched the 1.2 trillion-yuan Metog hydropower project, the largest infrastructure project in human history. The planned Metog hydropower station sits on the “Great Bend” of the Yarlung Tsangpo, where the river drops 2,000 meters within a 50-kilometer ...
China Begins Massive Dam Project in Tibet, Prompting Indian Objections
China started building a mega-dam Saturday on a river running through Tibet and India, with Premier Li Qiang attending the commencement ceremony, state media said. Beijing approved the project in December on the river -- known as Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet ...
Gunmen Attack Chinese-Owned Power Plant Site in Chile
Gunmen attacked a Chinese-owned hydroelectric plant under construction in Chile Sunday, setting fire to dozens of trucks and heavy earth-moving equipment, police said. The Rucalhue power plant is being built by Rucalhue Energia Spa, a unit of China International Water and ...
Photo Essay: How Life Goes on in Communities Along Dam-Saturated Mekong River
Over the past ten days, countries along the Mekong River have been desperately trying to mitigate the devastating impact from the river’s surging water levels due to Typhoon Yagi – the worst typhoon to hit the region in decades. ...
Construction to Begin Next Year on Massive Chinese-Financed Hydroelectric Dam in Congo-Brazzaville
Congo-Brazzaville will begin the construction of a major new hydroelectric dam in January 2025, the government said Wednesday. "The government, through the Ministry of Energy and Hydraulics, has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Overseas Co Ltd for the development ...
Myanmar Junta Revives Plans for China-Backed Mega-Dam
Myanmar's junta has revived plans for a $3.6 billion Chinese-backed dam in the north of the country, which was suspended more than ten years ago following huge public opposition. The project to build the 6,000-megawatt Myitsone dam in northern Kachin state ...
China, Thailand Flock to Laos’ Rivers for Electricity
Pak Beng is a small, sleepy town north of Laos. Little happens in this town except when the slow boat emerges on the Mekong River pier at six in the evening. When that happens, shops, bars, and restaurants near the pier come alive to greet arriving tourists. ...
DRC President Inaugurates New Chinese-Built Hydropower Plant
Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi opened the floodgates of the new Busanga hydropower station on the Lualaba River in southern Lualaba province's copper/cobalt belt. There's a certain irony in Tshisekdi inaugurating this particular project given that it's part of the massive $6 billion ...
A Chinese-Backed Solar Project in Lesotho Highlights Beijing’s New “Small is Beautiful” Infrastructure Development Strategy in Africa
Some 71 kilometers south of Lesotho’s capital Maseru, the new Mafeteng Solar Power Plant Project generates some 30MW of electricity that could easily power 30,000 homes running household appliances like a fridge, a TV, an electric cooker and a number of lights while also supporting some ...
How Chinese Construction Giant Sinohydro Benefits From Sanctions and Power Shortages in Zimbabwe
Sanctioned and isolated by the West, Zimbabwe’s economy has taken a beating for more than two decades, but in that period, some Chinese companies have stuck it out and become favorites, winning contracts for big-ticket projects.
Zimbabwe Pushing Chinese Steel Giant’s Plans to Exclusively Import Electricity From Mozambique
Chinese giant Tsingshang’s Zimbabwe subsidiary, Dinson Iron and Steel Company (Disco), will start importing electricity from Mozambique’s Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric power project once complete. This follows a plan, supported by the Zimbabwean government, to have Disco exclusively import power for the ...
Chinese-funded, Constructed Sakaï Solar Plant Powers up Central Africa Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR)’s first photovoltaic power plant is now operational following the successful launch of operation of the Sakaï Solar Power Plant last week. In the CAR, power cuts sometimes last 16 hours a day, badly hitting the ...