For Sonkou Condé, 28 September is an unforgettable date, because that is when the Kaléta dam, a project in which he was actively involved as an employee, was inaugurated. On this day, traditional Guinean music resounded over the construction site, accompanied by singing and dancing, which vividly displayed the joy and satisfaction of the local people. 

Guinea’s capital Conakry, which once had few lights during the night, is now a bustling city day and night, thanks to the construction of two hydroelectric plants at Kaléta and Souapiti. In the evenings, children play football under the streetlights while locals enjoy the cool night air, singing and dancing to the rhythm of the music. 

Originally planned as part of the Gambia River Basin Organisation (OMVG), the Kaléta project was a long-held dream of the people of Guinea. This dream came true in 2011 with the support of China Export-Import Bank, which provided 75 percent of the funding, and China International Water & Electric Corp (CWE), the construction company. This project is an important milestone in the China-Guinean friendship. 

A major driver   

The commissioning of Kaléta was a real driver for Guinea’s economic development. This success has also made it possible to implement the OMVG transmission and transformation line project and to position Kaléta as the hub of the electricity grid in West Africa. During the 48-month construction period, more than 3,000 local workers were employed, boosting employment and promoting trade and services. 

Prior to this project, Conakry didn’t have many hotels due to lack of stable power supply. Now, several five-star hotels, including the Kaloum, Cameynee, Sheraton and Noom, have already opened. The power supply has also popularised small household appliances. Kaléta made such a difference to the daily lives of its inhabitants that it featured on Guinea’s new 20,000 franc banknotes from 2015. 

Spurred on by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the great success of Kaléta, a second major EPC project led by CWE has seen the light of day in Guinea: the Souapiti hydropower dam, which is located around 6 km upstream of Kaléta. This power plant, which was commissioned in 2016, is connected to Kaléta via a 225 kv line. Souapiti not only supplies electricity to the whole of Guinea, but also to neighbouring countries via the West African interconnected grids, benefitting millions of people in the region. 

With a total investment of $2.14 billion and an installed capacity of 690 mw, these two projects cover Conakry and 11 neighbouring provinces, representing more than 60 percent of the country and generating more than 80 percent of the total electricity. By the end of 2023, the cumulative electricity generation will reach 9.94 billion kwh and cover the needs of 4 million Guineans. Around 5,000 jobs were created locally during the construction phase. The projects are fundamentally changing Guinea’s electricity supply, providing millions of households with electricity and contributing to the country’s socio-economic development. 

Successful local initiatives  

Today, the Kaléta and Souapiti power stations are managed respectively by Société de gestion de Kaléta (SOGEKA) and Société de gestion et d’exploitation de Souapiti (SOGES S.A), organised by the Chinese and the Guineans. From the outset, many local people have played a key role in the construction and operation of these plants. 

Sonkou Condé, who lived in China for 12 years between 2000 and 2012, began to feel homesick. One day, a friend told him that he had met a group of friendly Chinese in Guinea who had come to build a dam to bring electricity to the Guinean people. This story convinced Condé to leave his teaching job in Shanghai and return to Guinea, where he was hired because he spoke Chinese, English, French and Soussou, a local language. He joined the Kaléta project and then the Souapiti project. 

Kaléta’s inauguration was attended by many dignitaries, including the presidents of Guinea, the Republic of the Congo and Niger, as well as heads of state and ambassadors from more than 10 countries. Condé recalled with emotion the Guinean president’s praise of the Kaléta project for its contribution to the socio-economic development of the country. “I am honoured to have contributed, however modestly, to Kaléta and to my country, Guinea,” said Conté. 

Nowa, a senior employee, played a key role in the resettlement of residents from the reservoir area. He joined CWE in 2016 as a translator for the Souapiti project. The construction of a hydroelectric plant always requires the resettlement of people. But, as the saying goes, “it’s hard to leave your home.” No one likes to leave the place where their ancestors lived. Over the course of the project, 13,507 people have been resettled in 102 villages in Guinea. 

Faced with this problem, Nowa used her knowledge of different languages to communicate with the villagers and to explain CWE’s policies, such as compensation standards, resettlement destinations and security of funds, which were the main concerns of the villagers. Through daily contact with village leaders, elders, youth representatives and women, many villagers have come to understand and support the resettlement project. 

Through their hard work, their contributions have been recognised by CWE, which has rewarded them as outstanding expatriate staff.  

Social responsibility and location  

As part of the implementation of the BRI, CWE is also committed to social responsibility by strengthening links with communities. On 29 March, SOGES S.A launched a food distribution campaign in the sub-prefectures of Bangoya, Kollet, Sinta and Sangaréya in Guinea. This humanitarian gesture aims to alleviate the suffering of communities living near the Souapiti reservoir. The distribution campaign lasted until 6 April and reached more than 10,000 households, meaning that almost 20,000 people directly benefitted. 

Donations are also part of the company’s social responsibility. In January 2022, SOGEKA organised a second round of donations, including building materials for mosques, followed by a third round of donations of medical equipment for local clinics. In September 2013, more than 200 sets of school supplies and sports equipment were donated to students in five regions: Kholet, Sogolon, Bady, Tondon and Wassou. 

Localisation is a priority for the company. The company currently employs 137 Chinese and 161 Guinean workers in Guinea, mainly in the management and maintenance of hydroelectric plants and transformer stations. In January 2018, 30 local trainees returned to Guinea after completing their first semester of training at Hohai University in China. The company then organised a one-week on-site training course, where the trainees were able to learn plant maintenance and dam operations management, among other skills, to strengthen their understanding of the projects under construction and operation. 

To effectively promote localisation, CWE worked with the Confucius Institute to train and recruit Guinean employees. From August to December 2023, the Confucius Institute at the University of Conakry organised the training of 30 sponsored trainees and 10 other students interested in the Kaléta and Souapiti projects. After training and assessment, all 40 trainees signed employment contracts. 

This year, the company plans to establish partnerships with Guinean universities to select 50 new trainees from among the graduates, who will receive one year language training at the Confucius Institute. Trainees who pass the exams will also sign employment contracts.