China National Electric Equipment Corporation has won a US$58 million (RMB396 million) EPC contract to supply a 12MW hydro station and associated grid links in Cameroon.

Located in the hometown of Cameroon president Paul Biya in the southern part of Cameroon, Mekin hydropower project consists of a 12MW hydropower station, 40 miles of transmission lines, one substation and other auxiliary utilities. The plant will be commissioned within three years.

The groundwork for the contract award was made by Chinese president Hu Jingtao's visit to Cameroon in 2007, with the Mekin project listed within a bilateral cooperation agreement. In May, 2008, CNEEC signed the cooperation protocols with Department of Energy and Water Resource of Cameroon, ensuring CNEEC's selection as EPC contractor.

According to CNEEC, the project team worked proactively to overcome many difficulties such as data shortage and finished the feasibility study report within a short period. The contract was signed on March 16 at a ceremony between Zhao Ruolin, president of CNEEC and Sand Jean Bernard, secretary of Cameroon's Department of Energy and Water Resources.

CNEEC's Zhao said the two countries had great potential for further cooperation in clean energy, given the richness of water resourcea in Cameroon - the country has the second-hightest potential for hydropower development in Africa, after the Democratic Repblic of Congo.