A section of the Southern Expressway in Sri Lanka.
An aerial view of the Souapiti Hydropower Station.
A section of the China-Laos Railway.
A total of three overseas projects undertaken or participated in by POWERCHINA recently received the Luban Prize for the year of 2022-2023 (overseas projects), according to the China Construction Industry Association.
The Extension of the Southern Expressway Project in Sri Lanka is a significant undertaking jointly carried out by China and Sri Lanka as part of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" and a key project under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Spanning a total length of 96 kilometers, the expressway features four lanes in each direction, with an additional provision for six lanes, designed for a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. It is the first high-speed highway project in Sri Lanka. The opening ceremony for the expressway took place on Feb 23, 2020, with the president and prime minister of Sri Lanka and the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka in attendance.
During construction, the project provided jobs to over 10,000 locals and extended support to more than 500 people in the vicinity through initiatives such as educational assistance.
The expressway significantly reduces the distance between the Colombo and Hambantota ports, facilitating rapid logistics and personnel movement between the two locations. This, in turn, supports the development of the "Southern Economic Center" in Sri Lanka and has been hailed by local residents as the "Road to Prosperity."
The Souapiti Hydropower Station in Guinea, located on the Konkure River, features a concrete gravity dam with a total length of 1,164 meters and a maximum dam height of 120 meters. It has a total installed capacity of 450 megawatts and a normal reservoir capacity of 6.32 billion cubic meters, making it the largest hydraulic hub in Guinea and the largest investment project under bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and Guinea.
Following its completion, the Souapiti Hydropower Station has significantly enhanced flood control capabilities in the Konkure River basin, played a role in storing water during abundant periods and supplementing water during dry periods, and addressed water scarcity issues for irrigation during the region's dry season. It has also completely eliminated Guinea's electricity supply shortage, transforming the country from an electricity-importing nation to an electricity-exporting one.
The newly-built Boten to Vientiane section of the China-Laos Railway also won the Luban Prize. It begins at the Mohan railway port in China and extends southward through several provinces in Laos, ultimately reaching the capital city of Vientiane.
This section spans a total length of 422.441 kilometers and is designed as an electrified railway accommodating both passenger and freight trains, with a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
