Completed Mixed AidData Chinese Aid

CMEC provides $238 million supplier credit for 120MW Imboulou Hydropower Plant Project (Linked to Record ID#1049)

$238M USD

Funder	Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank)
Recipient Organization	China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC)
Country	Congo
Start Date	Mar 25, 2003
End Date	Nov 10, 2030
Duration	10,092 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`434`

Grant Description

CMEC provides $238 million supplier credit for 120MW Imboulou Hydropower Plant Project On March 25, 2003, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) and the Republic of Congo signed a $238 million supplier's credit agreement for the 120MW Imboulou Hydropower Plant Project.

📋 Loan / Grant Terms

💰 Loan Amountreportedly carried the following terms: 20-year maturity

📅 Maturity20 years

⏳ Grace Period5 years

💹 Interest Rate0.2%

In order to finance its supplier credit agreement with the Republic of Congo, CMEC obtained an export seller’s credit from China Eximbank. As of 2014, USD 238 had been disbursed. The export seller’s credit from China Eximbank reportedly covered 85% of the $280 million commercial contract.

This project involved the construction of a 120 MW (4x30 MW) Imboulou hydroelectric power plant, which is located on the Léfini River near Ngabé in Ngabe District. CMEC was the contractor responsible for implementation. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 23, 2003.

Construction began in November 2004 and the project reportedly employed 400 Chinese workers, 2,000 Congolese workers, and 20 German workers (from a company called Ingénieur Conseil Fichtner). On January 26, 2009, the project successfully achieved dam closure. Then, on January 27, 2010, the first power generating unit was put into operation.

This project was provisionally accepted by the Republic of Congo on November 10, 2010. It was officially inaugurated on May 7, 2011. However, according to the Republic of Congo, it was not completed until May 22, 2012.

📋 Staff Comments

This project is also referred to as the 4x30 MW Imboulou Hydroelectric Power Plant Project. The Chinese project title is 英布鲁水电站 or 刚果（布）4*30MW水电站项目 or 刚果（布）英布鲁120MW水电站项目. The French project title is Aménagement hydroélectrique d'Imboulou or La centrale hydroélectrique d'Imboulou.
Project ID#1049 captures a related loan for the Power Transmission Network Associated with the Imboulou Hydropower Plant Project.
In the database of Chinese loan commitments that SAIS-CARI released in July 2020, it identifies the maturity length of the CMEC loan that supported the 120MW Imboulou Hydropower Plant Project as 15-years. It does not identify the interest rate or the grace period. AidData records the borrowing terms (20-year maturity, 5-year grace period, and 0.2% interest rate) that were publicly disclosed at the time of the project’s groundbreaking ceremony.

📚 Sources & References

http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=48941&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0%252525252525252520&them_id=0&cat_id=4&ss_cat_id=15&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=05&select_year=2011, http://www.china5e.com/show.php?contentid=72683, http://www.mbendi.com/indy/powr/af/co/p0005.htm, http://cg.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/jmxw/200304/20030400079454.html
Energy & Electricity: Congo (Brazzaville)
EXIMBANK-CHINA
中刚双边经贸关系和经济技术合作
中国机械设备进出口集团公司与刚果（布）政府签定英布鲁水电站项目资金合同
The Construction of Largest Imboulou Hydropower Plant in Congo (Brazzaville) was completed
Republic of Congo : 2007 Article IV Consultation: Staff Report; Staff Statement; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Congo
驻刚果（布）大使夏煌视察英布鲁水电站
EXIMBANK China
China to build Congo's new parliament
Perspectives économiques en Afrique 2005
中国机械设备工程股份有限公司刚果（布）代表处
Stratégie diagnostique national microhydro, raport fidh congo
Lancement de la construction du Barrage d'Imboulou au Congo
IMBOULOU
Semaine du 28 septembre 2003
Quand le Barrage d�Imboulou illuminera le Congo Brazzaville ?
Global/Trans-national services
中国水电承建的刚果(布)英布鲁水电站首台机组试运转成功
Imboulou Dam
Congo: Inauguration of Imboulou hydroelectric power plant
英布鲁水电站
刚果（布）英布鲁120MW水电站项目
我国承建的刚果(布)首个大型项目英布鲁水电站竣工
Congo : réception provisoire de la centrale hydroélectrique d'Imboulou Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.

All Grantees

China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC)

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