As the giant ship slowly docks at the port of Guinea, loaded with ore from the Simandou iron mine, heading towards the global market, few people pay attention to the fact that the core driving force behind this resource feast is the rushing water of the Kongure River and the Senegal River. On the journey of Guinea's transformation from a "resource exporting country" to an "industrialized country", Kal é ta, Souapiti, and the planned Koukoutamba hydroelectric power plants are like three key gears, driving the industrial chassis of this West African country with a continuous supply of clean electricity.

Electricity used to be a 'tight spell' that constrained Guinea's development. In the past, this country with abundant mineral resources had difficulty supporting heavy asset projects such as mining deep processing and industrial park construction due to weak power grids and unstable power supply. Enterprises have to rely on diesel generators to maintain production, and the high costs are devouring profits and dampening investors' enthusiasm. The hierarchical layout and operation of the three hydropower stations are completely rewriting this dilemma.

Supporting the 'basic infrastructure' of Guinea's electricity industry

In 2015, the Kal é ta hydropower station in the upper reaches of the Kongure River was officially connected to the grid for power generation, with an installed capacity of 240 megawatts, bringing unprecedented power supply stability to Guinea. This project, with a total investment of approximately 526 million US dollars, not only bids farewell to the history of frequent power outages in the capital city of Conakry and the coastal economic belt, but also enables the State Grid to have sustained dispatch capabilities for the first time.

As a national base power source, Kal é ta hydropower station plays the role of a "voltage stabilizer". It supports the operation of urban livelihood electricity and basic industries with stable output, and smooths the peak and valley fluctuations of power grid load. More importantly, the operation of Kal é ta has verified the feasibility of large-scale hydropower projects in Guinea, laying a dual foundation of technology and experience for the subsequent landing of flagship projects such as Souapiti. From then on, Guinea's power system entered the "stable operation era" from the "emergency power supply era".

Pry open the 'ceiling' of industrial upgrading

If Kal é ta is the cornerstone of Guinea's electricity industry, then the Souapiti hydropower station with an installed capacity of 450 megawatts is the lever that drives industrialization. This project, with a total investment of about 2 billion US dollars, is currently the largest hydropower project in Guinea. From financing to construction, the deep participation of Chinese enterprises runs through the entire process - about 1.175 billion US dollars in project loans have enabled the project to proceed smoothly; After the successive commissioning of units in 2021, the scale of dispatchable electricity in China has achieved a structural leap.

The emergence of Souapiti directly changed the configuration logic of Guinea's power system. Prior to this, limited electricity could only meet the needs of people's livelihoods and small-scale industries; Nowadays, State Power Corporation has sufficient surplus to meet the electricity demand of heavy load projects such as mining, railways, and ports. The mining and processing of Simandou iron ore, efficient operation of deep-water ports, and investment attraction of industrial parks, which were once on paper, have finally met the practical conditions for implementation thanks to Souapiti's power support. Guinea's industrial electricity consumption has moved from the "conceptual planning" stage to the "practical operation stage".

Anchor the 'new coordinates' for regional collaboration

When Kal é ta and Souapiti are building a solid domestic power foundation for Guinea, the planned 294 MW Koukoutamba hydropower station is turning its attention to broader regional synergy. This project, led by the Senegal River Basin Development Organization, is not limited to a single country, but is positioned as a regional energy hub that will provide power support to multiple countries in the basin in the future.

At present, the EPC contract for Koukoutamba hydropower station has been won by a Chinese enterprise, and financing arrangements are being synchronized with environmental and social impact assessments. Its core value lies in injecting "redundant resilience" into Guinea's power system - after completion, Guinea can not only meet its own industrial expansion electricity needs, but also take the initiative in regional power allocation. When there is a power shortage in neighboring countries, Guinea can transmit electricity through cross-border power grids; When the country encounters extreme weather or unit maintenance, it can also rely on regional networks to ensure stable power supply. This regional power pattern of 'you in me, I in you' has added a solid security barrier to Guinea's industrialization path.

Three hydropower stations, a clear path to advancement: Kal é ta solidifies the foundation, Souapiti expands the increment, and Koukoutamba expands the boundary. They promote the transformation of Guinea's power system from a "livelihood guarantee oriented" to an "industrial support oriented" system in a hierarchical linkage manner. Behind this, the presence of Chinese enterprises runs through the entire process - from engineering contracting to financing support, from equipment supply to operation and maintenance services, China's strength is resonating with Guinea's industrialization process.

In the future, when machines roar in Guinea's industrial parks and deep processed mineral products go abroad, people may remember that this industrial transformation began with three dams on three rivers and the continuous and hopeful current.Editor/Bian Wenjun