- The Nigerian government has requested a loan from theChina Exim Bankย to build the 3,050MW Mambilla Hydropower Project.
- Theย contract was awarded back in August 2017 to a Chinese consortium ofย China Gezhouba Corporation,ย Sinohydro Corporation Limitedandย CGOC Group Limited.
- The project is expected to cost US 5.8bn.ย
Under the terms of the contract,ย China Export Import (EXIM)ย 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 Nigeriaโs Federal Government.
Theย Mambilla Power Station will be connected to threeย damsย across theย Donga River inย Taraba State,ย Nigeria.
Conceived in 1982, the mainย Mambilla Damย is designed as a largeย rolled compact concrete damย andย reservoirย at 1,300 metres (4,300ย 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 (21ย mi), intercepted by 2 smaller dams (Sum Sum Damย andย Nghu Dam), both at an elevation of 1,250 metres (4,100ย ft).
Beyond these dams, the tunnels will lead into a 1,000 metres (3,300ย ft) drop shaft tunnelled down through the rock to a massiveย underground powerhouseย with a generating capacity of 3,050 megawatts (4,090,000ย hp).ย Via a short tunnel, the water then exits the base of theย plateauย and flows into a tributary river that re-joins the Donga River downstream of the plateau.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal