China Eximbank provides 1.08 billion RMB seller's credit to Harbin Electric Company for Phase I of the 212MW El-Jaili (Garri/Qarre) Gas Power Plant Construction Project (Linked to #2163, #55858)

On 16 November 2000, Harbin Electric International Company Limited (HEC; formerly known as Harbin Power Equipment Co. Ltd. or HPEC) and the Sudan Ministry of Energy signed a framework agreement in which the Chinese company pledged to finance and build Phase I of the 212MW El-Jaili (Garri/Qarre) Gas Power Plant Construction Project. On 15 October 2001, China Eximbank signed a 1.08 billion RMB (about $128 million USD) seller's credit agreement with HEC to finance the Chinese company's commercial contract with the Sudan National Electricity Corporation (NEC) (see Sina News; Chinese Loans to Africa Database). The loan terms are unknown. China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) provided insurance for this loan (see Harbin 2016 report). The total project cost was about $150 million USD. The Government of Sudan reportedly contributed $18 million for the completion of the El-Jaili Refinery, which provides the gas inputs for the El-Jaili (Garri/Qarre) Gas Power Power Plant. According to a World Bank document (source #11327, p. 57) and a SAIS-CARI working paper (source #47365, p. 19), oil served as collateral for this loan. This project involved the construction of a combined cycle power pant, a 100-km electricity transmission line, a new substation, and the expansion of an old substation. The project site is located in El-Gaili (or Al Jaily or El-Jaili), about 80 km north of Khartoum. Harbin Electric Company Limited (HEC) was the contractor responsible for implementation. Construction began on 28 March 2003. Three gas turbines were successfully connected to Sudan's power grid by 5 July 2003. China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Sudanese Electricity Minister Ali Temim Fertak officially inaugurated the Qarre I plant on 5 January 2004.China also financed Phase II (see Project #2163) and Phase IV (#55858) of this project.

Additional details

Also called the E1-Gaili Combined Cycle Power Plant. The Chinese project title is 吉利电站一期项目.

Number of official sources

11

Number of unofficial sources

11