CHINA DAILY
State Grid Corporation of China helps charge Brazil's power surge
While 80 percent of Brazil's electricity is consumed in the more developed southern half of the country, its primary power plants are located in the north, over 2,000 kilometers away.
The growing demand for electricity in the vast South American country underlines the need for an "expressway" to transmit power generated in Belo Monte to southeast Brazil. This formidable undertaking has become possible with support from China.
The second phase of the Belo Monte ultrahigh voltage direct current transmission project, constructed by State Grid Corporation of China, addresses the need by transmitting power from the hydro-rich Amazon basin to the developed regions in the south and southeast.
Stretching more than 2,500 kilometers through 81 cities and five states, it is the world's longest ±800-kilovolt UHVDC transmission line, benefiting a population of 22 million along its route.
By February of this year, the project had cumulatively transmitted more than 160 billion kilowatt-hours of clean hydropower, equivalent to saving over 57 million metric tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by some 159 million tons.
As the transmission line traverses rainforests, hills and grasslands that boast an abundance of wildlife, SGCC placed great emphasis on ecological preservation throughout the project. In strict adherence to relevant laws and regulations, the primary goal was to minimize the environmental impact on the local surroundings.
The project team established 13 animal rescue stations along the route, entered into contracts with 25 vegetation protection stations and hired more than 60 flora and fauna experts to ensure biodiversity protection during the construction period.
SGCC also conducted population surveys on 936 animal species, rescued 60 endangered plants and restored 1,100 hectares of vegetation in other areas.
In recognition of those efforts, the Belo Monte Phase II project was awarded the 2019 Best Commission's Brazilian Social Environmental Management Practice Award by Benchmarking Brazil.
The project team also attached great importance to advancing its social corporate responsibility initiatives to contribute to local cultural heritage preservation and the improvement of residents' well-being.
During construction, the team built or repaired over 1,970 kilometers of roads and 350 bridges, conducted archaeological explorations in 4,492 locations and unearthed 710 heritage sites and natural caves.
In addition, the team carried out 13 CSR programs, helping improve the quality of life for residents in disadvantaged communities by offering them vocational skills training.
Those efforts include support for the preservation of the Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site, Rio de Janeiro's 19th century slave disembarkation point, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The project team has also provided financial aid for the Mare do Amanha Orchestra, a community-based youth musical group in Rio de Janeiro, aiding in its development and participation in major events.
The orchestra, which has engaged more than 10,000 students from underprivileged communities, creates opportunities for many of its members to take charge of their own destinies.
Project opens doors for local workforce in Egypt
The first UWB College outside China was opened in the central business district of Egypt's New Administrative Capital on the eve of the 2020 Spring Festival.
The NAC is an urban community in Cairo Governorate and a satellite of Cairo City, and the CBD project is contracted to China State Construction, which is also a co-founder of the college.
Named for Lu Ban, a legendary civil engineering master in ancient China who was renowned for his exquisite craftsmanship, the college features a mentor system designed to help Chinese companies foster skilled local workers in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Among the beneficiaries is Ebrahim Abdel Hamad, who hails from a remote rural area in Aswan Province. He was overwhelmed by the activity when he arrived at the construction site to begin work, but was determined to make good. "I wanted to go all out in performing my job, but the dense network of pipelines and cables confused me, leaving me at a loss of what to do," he recalled.
As the project progressed, the college encouraged and helped Hamad and other locals improve their vocational skills through hands-on instruction, support and care. Hamad proved to be a keen learner. He volunteered to assist senior Chinese workers, and through that effort received valuable vocational training.
Hamad eventually learned to work independently on the site by referencing blueprints, and with further training and practice, he was able to pass along his knowledge to other local workers.
"The project has provided me with an opportunity to make a living building on my skills," said Hamad, whose formal education was limited to primary school. "When I save enough money, I want to use the techniques I have learned here to build a big house for my family."
The increased income has greatly improved his life. During his vacation, Hamad returned home and introduced some Chinese colleagues to his family and friends. "Eight of my fellow villagers were so envious and impressed that they followed me back to the project seeking job opportunities," he said.
Hamad's success in going from being a laborer who carried equipment and construction materials to becoming a team leader is not unique.
The project has attracted laborers from all over Egypt, and many villagers like Hamad have benefited from projects under the BRI framework.
Currently, the CBD project has cooperated with more than 300 Egyptian companies, providing training for industrial workers, promoting improvement in management skills and helping nearly 30,000 laborers find employment.
Belarus industrial park committed to eco-preservation
Great Stone Industrial Park, a China-Belarus cooperation project endorsed by both governments, provides an exemplary approach to harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, where rare plants and animals are protected and a pristine environment is preserved.
The green development path of the industrial park, located in a suburb of Minsk, capital of Belarus, can be traced back to the planning phase when its builder, China CAMC Engineering Co Ltd, aka CAMCE, a subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation, conducted preliminary research into water sources, animals and forests.
From the very beginning, a founding principle of the industrial park was to preserve as many ecological functional areas as possible and ensure the project's development in harmony with the environment, according to CAMCE.
Known as the "Land of a Thousand Lakes", Belarus has strict environmental regulations that required adjustments to the industrial park's design and construction.
For instance, rainwater and snow water are required to be treated — a standard much higher than in China, CAMCE said. Also, the quality standard for treated wastewater had to be raised to a higher level for aquaculture.
Despite prohibitive expenditures to ensure compliance, the Chinese builders respected and conformed to the high environmental standards.
The Belarusian environmental regulations also include stipulations for construction materials used for house exteriors and the purpose of properties.
Among the tracts of the park land where property development is banned is an area where nearby villagers bury dead animals. Another property-banned area was discovered to contain rich mineral resources, so it was preserved for future exploration.
A large tract of land in the project has been earmarked for green coverage, so forests inside the park and in the surrounding area have been preserved. In particular, to prevent pollution of rivers running across the industrial park, CAMCE's designers established water source conservation areas and hygiene protection belts in the development plan.
The preservation of 15 nearby villages has also been factored into the Chinese planners' consideration. CAMCE made allowance for a 300-meter-wide green belt to separate the villages from the industrial premises in the park to ensure environmental stability.
In addition, the Chinese company has constructed roads and infrastructure to provide water, electricity and gas to villages that previously had no such basic services.
Bridge constructed at Chinese speed raises expectations in Maldives
Famed as a tourist resort, the Maldives, a country consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, had always longed for a cross-sea bridge to facilitate transportation.
The dream came true when the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, linking the islands of Male, Hulhule and Hulhumale, was completed by Chinese builders five years ago.
The bridge has improved road connectivity and access to the international airport on Hulhule.
One of the most crowded cities in the world, Male covers an area of 1.8 square kilometers yet is home to more than 150,000 residents, roughly one-third of the country's population.
No wonder the construction project grabbed the attention of the country when it was opened to traffic in 2018.
Back then, Imthiyan Hamdhy, a young taxi driver shuttling through the streets and alleys of the capital city every day, paid close attention to the project's progress.
After learning that the bridge was soon to be put into use, he drove to an observation platform near the bridge construction site every day for two straight weeks to see how the work was progressing.
"It is really uplifting," he said prior to the opening of the bridge. "I will be able to pick up passengers from Male and take them across the bridge to Hulhule Island."
Abdullah Among, an electrician in his 50s who works at the Maldives airport and lives in Male, was also among the multitudes that looked forward to the opening of the bridge.
He had to spend around two hours commuting from home to work every day. "I had to take a ferry and then a bus to get to my workplace," he said, gazing at the bridge under construction in the distance. "When the weather was rough, the ferry rides could be really dangerous and physically unendurable."
He took photographs of the bridge in various stages of construction using his cellphone. "Its construction was so fast, fast, fast," he said, trying to emphasize how quickly the bridge was completed. "Without Chinese builders, the bridge would not have been completed until six or seven years later," he said.
Construction of the bridge also led to the upgrading of the roads in Male, transforming the previously brick-paved streets and alleys into smooth and spacious asphalt roads. "The bridge and roads provide new hope for our country," he said.
Amira Latheef, an executive in charge of foreign human resources at CCCC Second Harbor Engineering, said, "My father is proud of my work on the project team."
"Despite occasionally feeling some pressure, my working environment is pleasant. My colleagues are friendly and ready to help," she said.
While working with her Chinese colleagues, she found them "diligent and focused" at work. "The majority of the Chinese working on the bridge were not with their families, but leave their homeland to work hard alone abroad. Yet I never heard them complain about the toughness of their work — their work always came first in their minds."
She said that if Maldivian people themselves can build a bridge, she hopes to be involved and bring the advanced knowledge she has learned to the industry, so she can help make her homeland more prosperous.
Building mutual trust key task for CREC
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which was opened to traffic in Indonesia on Sept 7, is a signature construction project under the Belt and Road Initiative, promoting both regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.
China Railway Group Limited, aka CREC, a co-builder of the project, was well aware of how to create a friendship path to win the hearts of local residents.
When China Railway No 4 Engineering Group, a subsidiary of CREC, planned to start establishing a temporary production facility in Cileunyi town to provide sleepers and other components for the railway project, the news caused consternation among local villagers. They worried that the premises would become an obstacle to transportation, and the rural paths would be unable to be recovered after the project, although the bumpy paths were already in bad repair.
Due to the lengthy rainy season each year, spanning from October to May, heavy rainfall had made the village paths muddy and potholed.
After spending half a year in communication, the Chinese company reached an agreement with five nearby villages, providing a solution that freed them of their misgivings once and for all.
The company built a total of 1.8 kilometers of 2-meter-wide roads for the villages while offering financial aid. The new roads have standard protective barriers, making travel safer and more convenient.
The move won the trust of the villagers, who, in turn, became more supportive of the temporary production facility and the railway project.
CREC said it is consistent in valuing the wellbeing of local communities in its overseas projects, and it is going to great lengths to advance more projects that can benefit local residents.
