Chinese company to help build Vitebsk hydropower plant by 2019

The Vitebsk hydropower plant will be built upon the Zapadnaya Dvina River by 2019 with the assistance of a Chinese company. The plans are laid down by the relevant decree Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed on 16 May, the press service of the Belarusian leader told BelTA.

According to the source, the Vitebsk Oblast electrical company Vitebskenergo and the Chinese company China National Electric Engineering have signed the relevant contract and will build the hydropower plant by 1 January 2019.

The power plant will have four hydroelectric units with the total installed generating capacity of 40MW. The contract envisages designing, supplying, and installing the equipment, startup and commissioning operations, testing, maintenance during the warranty period, personnel training, organizational and technical measures, preparation of permit documents and the overall commissioning of the installation.

The hydropower plant project will cost $189.55 million without VAT and customs duties. The project will be financed with loans from the China Development Bank and proprietary resources of Vitebskenergo.

Belarusian design, construction and installation companies will be able to perform services worth at least 30% of the total cost of the contract by offering design services, construction, installation, tuning work, and by supplying materials.