A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Yopougon II Transformer Substation under the framework of the EPC project of Soubre Hydropower Station, undertaken by Sinohydro Bureau 5 Co., Ltd., was held on Dec 9. The substation then began operations. Cote d'Ivoire Prime Minister Daniel Duncan, Chinese Economic and Commerce Counsellor in Cote d'Ivoire Sun Liang, and others attended the ceremony and delivered speeches, marking this great milestone together.
In his speech, Prime Minister Duncan extended his thanks to the Chinese government, the Export-Import Bank of China, and the project's technical partner (Sinohydro) for their full support and assistance in building the Soubre Hydropower Station and spoke highly of the powerful professional technical competence and rich construction and management experience of Sinohydro. He stressed that the YopougonⅡTransformer Substation will greatly improve the power supply in the Yopougon area, strengthen the structure of the power grid, and enhance the reliability of power supply and the ability to optimize resource allocation. The substation project is a solid foundation for President Ouattara’s goal of transforming Cote d'Ivoire into an emerging country by 2020.
In his address, Sun Liang said that as a part of the Soubre Hydropower Station project the Yopougon Ⅱ Transformer Substation will not only provide stable, safe, and reliable power for the economic development of Cote d'Ivoire, but also expedite the industrialization of the country and bring benefits to all its people. From the Soubre Hydropower Station, a result of the cooperation between Cote d'Ivoire and China, to the upcoming project for upgrading and transforming the power grid, the already completed Abidjan Water Supply Project, and the Grand-Bassam Highway Project, the friendship between the two countries is visible everywhere. He hoped that they will join hands for cooperation on a wider scale to bring mutual benefits. He also wished for a long friendship between them.
With a total investment of US $76.3 million, the expansion project of the YopougonⅡTransformer Substation of Soubre Hydropower Station undertaken by Sinohydro Bureau 5 Co., Ltd. was launched on Feb 11, 2015, and was aimed at adding two 100-MWA 225-KV transformers and ancillary facilities. Expansion was conducted on the three outlet intervals of Azito, Abobo, and Taabo. The outlet intervals of Azito and Abobo were put into charged operation on April 17, 2016, while the outlet interval of Taabo was put into charged operation on Dec 9, 2016.
The ceremony of the Yopougon II Transformer Substation marks the milestone that all of the sectional projects of the Soubre Hydropower Station are now near completion, which is a solid indication of final power generation ahead of schedule.
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