Technicians work at the Lahore Converter Station of the ±660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the outskirts of Lahore, in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on May 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)
BEIJING, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Starting from this year, a large number of overseas projects built by Chinese enterprises have been completed or fulfilled phased targets. Theses overseas projects have improved local infrastructure, created job opportunities thus boosted local economic and social development.
-- Benefiting local people and spurring economic growth
The Padma River has long divided Bangladesh into southwest and northeast parts. There had been no bridge in the lower reaches due to wide surface, rapid torrent and frequent flooding, and the residents had to cross the river by ferryboat.
In 2014, China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co., Ltd (MBEC) contracted construction of the river-crossing Padma Bridge. As the largest infrastructure project in Bangladesh to date, the bridge is 7.7 km long and adopts a double-deck-steel-truss structure with upper four-lane highway and lower single-line railway. After completion, residents on both banks will no longer cross the river by ferryboat.
After being put into operation, the bridge shortens the distances between 21 districts in southern area and the capital Dhaka, bringing flow of goods and growth of economy. It is estimatedthat this bridge will increase Bangladesh's GDP by 1.5 percent annually, benefiting over 80 million people.
Wen Wusong, party secretary and chairman of MBEC, said that since the beginning, MBEC has created more than 50,000 job opportunities for local people. As the construction process goes on, a batch of Bangladeshi employees have sharpened their professional edges, and after completion of the bridge, they may continue to work for other local projects.
Examples like Padma Bridge are plenty. In Kenya, the Nairobi Expressway financed and built by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) started trial run on May 14. It shortens the travel time between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and downtown Nairobi from 2 hours to 20 minutes, effectively alleviating the urban congestion and creating a lot of new jobs locally.
In Nepal, the construction and installation of Pokhara international airport project by China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach) will effectively boost the development of Nepal's tourism and civil aviation.
-- Advanced technology and equipment going global
China's construction and engineering projects have achieved leapfrog progress abroad and exported China's advanced technology, equipment and management mechanism.
The Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) in the Philippines is now in the final stage before launch.
The Visayas Islands where the project is located suffer frequent seismic and volcanic activities as well as heavy typhoons. A consortium formed by China Southern Power Grid and PowerChina contracted the renovation and expansion work of two ±350 kV converter stations, two DC grounding poles and five AC substations.
To guarantee safety and stability, the converter station is the first one in the world to take a wind velocity of 270 km per hour, and the first to adopt designs for both magnitude -9.0 earthquake and high wind velocity.
The project has purchased over 2 billion pesos of equipment and building materials locally, and contributed over 500 million pesos to local tax revenue. Moreover, it has for the first time realized the whole industry chain going-global in an EPC form including China's DC transmission technology, electric equipment, and engineering management.
In addition to the up-to-date technology and equipment, Chinese enterprises exported advanced standards and management mechanisms.
On March 21 this year, Bangladesh's largest power station, Payala 2×660MW coal-fired power station was officially put into operation, it is the first power project financed and operated in the PPP (public-private partnership) mode by Chinese enterprise in this country. The ultra-supercritical technology provided by China makes its emissions lower than the standards of the World Bank and IFC.
As a result, Bangladesh becomes the thirteenth country using ultra-supercritical power generation technology in the world, and the first one in South Asia to achieve nationwide power access. The project is expected to provide the country with about 85.8TWh of clean energy each year, which will greatly relieve the regional power shortage and effectively optimize the national energy mix.
-- Demonstrating strength of China's infrastructure construction
Contracted and built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC)，the last high-rise building of the CBD in Egypt's new administrative capital was capped on May 18. It marked the largest project built by China's centrally state-owned enterprise in Egypt, which is Egypt's world-class CBD in its real sense and will boost the development of the Suez Canal and Red Sea economic belts.
The 385.8-meter landmark tower located in the west of Egypt's new administrative capital is known as the tallest skyscraper in Africa. During the construction, CSCEC set several construction records in the Middle East and Africa, such as the fastest pouring of ultra-large raft foundation.
The project also includes a 196-meter apartment building, the tallest one in Africa. This residential building is automatic and intelligent in every detail, e.g. automatic control of streetlights and automatic treatment of household garbage.
Chinese enterprises extensively apply and invent new technologies in overseas projects, and instill the concept of green and low-carbon building into them, thus developing new landmark buildings with green wisdom.
Except for landmark buildings, Chinese enterprises are also participating in developing overseas renewable energy projects like solar, windpower and hydropower that constantly push forward green and sustainable development worldwide. On May 5, the main installation of Uzbekistan's largest power project, Syr Darya gas-fired power plant, was kicked off. Upon completion, it will supply over 36GWh of electricity every day to the local grid.
(Edited by Bao Nuomin with Xinhua Silk Road, baonuomin@xinhua.org)
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