- The Nigerian government has requested a loan from theChina Exim Bank to build the 3,050MW Mambilla Hydropower Project.
- The contract was awarded back in August 2017 to a Chinese consortium of China Gezhouba Corporation, Sinohydro Corporation Limitedand CGOC Group Limited.
- The project is expected to cost US 5.8bn.
Under the terms of the contract, China Export Import (EXIM) Bank will provide 85% of the cost of contract, while the Nigerian Federal Government is to bear 15%. The loan is structured in a way that will allow the Chinese bank to pay the Chinese contractors directly on behalf of Nigeria’s Federal Government.
The Mambilla Power Station will be connected to three dams across the Donga River in Taraba State, Nigeria.
Conceived in 1982, the main Mambilla Dam is designed as a large rolled compact concrete dam and reservoir at 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level. From this dam water is diverted off the reservoir towards the western side of the plateau through 3 hydraulic tunnels totaling 33 kilometres (21 mi), intercepted by 2 smaller dams (Sum Sum Dam and Nghu Dam), both at an elevation of 1,250 metres (4,100 ft).
Beyond these dams, the tunnels will lead into a 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) drop shaft tunnelled down through the rock to a massive underground powerhouse with a generating capacity of 3,050 megawatts (4,090,000 hp). Via a short tunnel, the water then exits the base of the plateau and flows into a tributary river that re-joins the Donga River downstream of the plateau.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
