The first unit at the Zungeru Hydropower Station – one of the largest hydropower projects under construction in Nigeria – officially started generating electricity on 28 March, marking a major milestone for the 700MW project. Full commissioning of the project is expected at the end of this year.
Located on the Kaduna River in Zongeru Town, Niger State, Zongeru will mainly be used for power generation but will also offer the multiple benefits of flood control, irrigation, water supply, aquaculture, and shipping. It is equipped with four vertical-axis Francis turbine generator units with a rated capacity of 175MW, with an average annual power generation of 2.64 billion kWh.
The EPC contract on the project was won by the consortium of China Power Construction International Corporation (67.5%) and China Power Engineering Corporation (32.5%). The eighth and third bureaus of China Hydropower Corporation formed the ‘Eighth-three Joint Venture’ to undertake on-site construction of the project, with the Kunming Institute responsible for project design.
News source: Hydropower Eighth Bureau
