Completed Development AidData Chinese Aid

Chinese Government provides RMB 95 million grant for 6.6MW Aba-Samuel Hydropower Plant Rehabilitation Project (Linked to Record ID#91696)

¥95M RMB

Funder	China Ministry of Commerce
Recipient Organization	Government of Ethiopia
Country	Ethiopia
Start Date	Jan 01, 2012
End Date	Jun 09, 2029
Duration	6,369 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`59178`

Grant Description

In January 2012, the Chinese Government and the Government of Ethiopia signed an RMB 95 million grant agreement for the 6.6MW Aba-Samuel Hydropower Plant Rehabilitation Project. The grant proceeds were to be used by the Government of Ethiopia to finance 75% of the total project cost.

The purpose of the project was to rehabilitate the 6.6MW Aba-Samuel hydropower plant, which is located at Andode in East Shewa Zone and the Oromia Region.

This follows when, on April 18, 2011, the Chinese Government provided a grant worth ETB 1,297,643 to the Government of Ethiopia to support a feasibility study for the plant's rehabilitation project (captured via Record ID#91696). Established in 1939, the Aba-Samuel hydropower plant stopped operation in the 1970s.

PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation was the EPC contractor responsible for the implementation of the rehabilitation project. Construction began in November 2014 and ended in December 2016. On December 15, 2016, an inauguration ceremony was held for the Aba-Samuel Hydropower Plant.

La Yifan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Abraham Tekeste, Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Cooperation, Azeb Asnake, CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power, and Shi Leiming, Vice President of PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation, were all present at the ceremony.

In addition to successfully completing the rehabilitation project, Shi said that PowerChina had also provided support to road and water provision activities which benefited the local community, and created job opportunities for locals.

📋 Staff Comments

This project is also known as the Small Hydropower Project. The Chinese project title is 阿巴-萨姆尔水电站.
The system identification number for this project in the Government of Ethiopia’s Aid Management Platform (AMP) is 87143123101136. According to the AMP, the monetary value of the grant commitment was ETB 154,428,620 and the grant commitment date was April 18, 2011. 1 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) was equal to 0.38 Chinese yuan (RMB) in April 2011, which implies that the ETB 154,428,620 grant commitment recorded in the AMP was worth RMB 58,682,875.60 at the time that it was contracted. This issue warrants further investigation.
The AMP system identification number for the feasibility study project is 87143123101135.
According to the Public Sector Debt Statistical Bulletin 10 published by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance, a framework loan agreement worth RMB 100 million RMB was signed on January 22, 2012 with the following borrowing terms: 0% interest rate, 10-year grace period, and 20-year maturity (as captured via Project#30109). It is unclear whether any of the proceeds from this loan supported the Aba-Samuel Hydropower Plant Rehabilitation Project. This issue warrants further investigation.

📚 Sources & References

Ethiopia hails Sino-Ethiopian cooperation in various areas
China hands over hydropower rehabilitation project to Ethiopia
China hands over hydropower rehabilitation project to Ethiopia
腊翊凡大使出席援埃塞阿巴-萨姆尔水电站修复项目交接仪式
驻埃塞俄比亚大使腊翊凡出席援埃塞阿巴-萨姆尔水电站修复项目交接仪式
Aba-Samuel Reservoir
Aba Samuel Reservoir and Hydroelectric Dam
Aba Samuel Dam
The Aba Samuel Hydroelectric Dam
The state of ongoing hydropower projects in Ethiopia
集团援埃塞阿巴-萨姆尔水电站项目举行政府间交接仪式
Feasibility Investigation Project for Small Hydropower Plant
Small Hydropower Project 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.