China and Honduras established diplomatic relations on March 26, with the actions of POWERCHINA helping to pave the way.
POWERCHINA built the Patuca III Hydropower Station, the first large-scale hydropower project built in Honduras over three decades, and undertook construction of the El Arenal Hydropower Station in 2019.
A view of the Patuca III Hydropower Station in Honduras.
As the first large-scale hydroelectric project in the country, the Patuca III Hydropower Station was the focus of major attention from the government and the general public. It was also the first time that China used Chinese financing in a country that had not yet established diplomatic relations with it.
The project started construction on Sept 21, 2015 and the plant was connected to the national grid on Dec 20, 2020. The hydroelectric station has an installed power capacity of 104 MW and an average annual power generation of 326 million kWh.
Moreover, it supplies 4 percent of the electricity to the country's power grid and helps to adjust the energy structure of Honduras and further alleviate its power shortages.
The El Arenal Hydropower Station dam fills up with water.
The El Arenal Hydropower Station located in Yoro province, in northern Honduras, which has a dam with a storage capacity of 52 million cubic meters of water and a total installed capacity of 60 MW. The project started construction on Feb 15, 2019 and was completed on April 26, 2022.
It can generate 360 million kWh of electricity every year, serving about 1 million people.
POWERCHINA holds Children's Day donation activities in Honduras.
Additionally, during the construction of the two hydropower stations, POWERCHINA donated construction materials, learning materials and sports goods to local schools and repaired the roads for local communities. It also built roads and dredged landslide roads in the aftermath of hurricanes that have hit.
The two hydropower stations have witnessed the establishment of friendly diplomatic relations between China and Honduras. Moving forwards, plans are for POWERCHINA to continue to leverage its know-how and experience to further develop infrastructure in Honduras.
