Chinese power company signs 526 mln USD contract in Guinea

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EA%20contract%20of%20526%20million%20U.%20S.%20dollars%20between%20the%20China%20Water%20and%20Electric%20Company%20%28CWE%29%20and%20the%20Guinean%20government%20for%20the%20construction%20of%20a%20dam%20was%20signed%20in%20the%20West%20African%20country%27s%20capital%20Conakry%2C%20officials%20disclosed%20here%20on%20Monday.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAccording%20to%20Deputy%20Director%20of%20the%20CWE%20Li%20Li%2C%20the%20construction%20of%20the%20dam%20will%20last%2024%20months.%20She%20pledged%20that%20it%20will%20be%20a%20dam%20to%20meet%20the%20needs%20of%20Guineans.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EGuinean%20Minister%20of%20Energy%20Papa%20Koly%20Koroma%2C%20who%20signed%20the%20contract%20on%20behalf%20of%20the%20government%2C%20said%20the%20CWE%20was%20rewarded%20the%20contract%20because%20of%20its%20reputations%20of%20being%20able%20to%20build%20standard%20dams.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EPresident%20Alpha%20Conde%20and%20his%20government%20have%20been%20facing%20the%20challenge%20of%20power%20shortages%20in%20Conakry%20and%20elsewhere%20in%20the%20country%20since%20elected%20months%20ago.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAccording%20to%20the%20minister%20of%20energy%2C%20all%20five%20generators%20supplying%20Conakry%20with%20electricity%20are%20outdated%20machines.%20Out%20of%20the%20five%20generators%2C%20only%20two%20are%20operational%2C%20while%20the%20three%20others%20have%20broken%20down%20without%20repairs.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20new%20dam%20will%20be%20built%20in%20a%20town%20called%20Kaleta%20in%20the%20region%20of%20Kindia%2C%20about%20150%20km%20from%20Conakry.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EOnce%20the%20Kalete%20project%20is%20completed%2C%20it%20will%20meet%20the%20urgent%20need%20of%20power%20supply%20in%20Conakry.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EOne%20of%20President%20Conde%27s%20election%20campaign%20slogans%20was%20to%20give%2024-hour%20electricity%20supply%20to%20Conakry.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ETechnicians%20at%20the%20Guinean%20electricity%20company%20say%20the%20new%20government%20inherited%20a%20dilapidated%20system.%20They%20attributed%20the%20breakdown%20of%20the%20machines%20to%20lack%20of%20proper%20maintenance%20and%20spare%20parts.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThey%20say%20the%20only%20solution%20to%20resolve%20the%20electricity%20crisis%20is%20the%20building%20of%20a%20dam.%20The%20idea%20was%20taken%20by%20the%20government%20despite%20the%20high%20cost.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20government%20initially%20disbursed%20more%20than%201%20million%20dollars%20to%20repair%20some%20of%20the%20machines%2C%20but%20the%20progress%20was%20limited.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20president%20accused%20the%20management%20of%20the%20Guinean%20electricity%20company%20of%20failing%20to%20improve%20the%20supply%20of%20power%20to%20inhabitants%20of%20Conakry.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EConde%20has%20sacked%20several%20Conakry%20electricity%20company%20managers%20and%20replaced%20them%20with%20Guineans%20from%20companies%20abroad.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAll%20five%20generators%20were%20bought%20in%20the%201950s%20and%20have%20never%20been%20changed%20to%20meet%20the%20current%20standard%20of%20the%20people%20of%20Conakry.%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E