West Africa's Three Gorges: POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering's Soubré Hydropower Station

Power shortages have long challenged developing nations in Africa. Chinese enterprises are enabling efficient delivery of sustainable clean energy for Africa's socioeconomic development. With 1.155 billion kW of theoretical hydropower potential (21% of global reserves, second only to Asia), Africa possesses abundant resources. The 4.5-km-long Soubré Hydropower Station—a flagship China-Côte d'Ivoire collaboration—stands as West Africa's largest operational hydro plant. It consolidates the nation's role as West Africa's economic engine, diversifies its thermal-dominated power mix, and delivers green, stable, low-cost electricity for national development. Future power exports to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia will benefit the entire region. At the inauguration attended by 1,000 dignitaries including President Alassane Ouattara, Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé, and Chargé d'Affaires Wang Jun, President Ouattara declared: "Soubré fulfills our people's aspiration. This vital livelihood project will revolutionize power supply, optimize energy balance, drive economic growth, and create thousands of local jobs."

Located on Sassandra River in Soubré Province, Côte d'Ivoire, the project comprises:

· 20-m-high dam (4.5 km total length)

· Spillway

· Water intake

· Surface powerhouse

· Tailrace

With 83 million m³ total reservoir capacity (20 million m³ effective), it generates 270 MW capacity and 1,038 GWh annual output. The $572 million project—honored as "Three Gorges of West Africa"—adopted European standards (including French NF EN codes). Innovations in its 4.5-km composite dam design and weathered bedrock seepage control earned acclaim from Ivorian owners and Western supervisors. In 2019, POWERCHINA Chengdu won China's Luban Prize (National Quality Engineering Award) for survey, design, and equipment integration.

Accessen plate heat exchangers are deployed in the closed-loop cooling system. This system supplies purified cooling water to Turbine oil bearing coolers and Air coolers. It extracts heat from these components and transfers it via plate heat exchangers to open-cycle cooling water drawn from upstream. The exchangers' thermal efficiency directly impacts closed-loop outlet temperatures, critically affecting equipment operation. Six units (600 m³/h capacity each) performed excellently, ensuring plant safety and clean energy delivery.