The Republic of Congo expects an energy increase of 30 percent in its capital Brazzaville with the first turbine of Imboulou hydroelectric dam to be completed in April by the Chinese company CMEC.

Congolese President Denis Sassou N'Guesso on Wednesday visited the Imboulou project situated more than 200 km north of Brazzaville.

"The only remaining thing is the transportation network which is expected to be ready in the next three months so that Brazzaville can start having electricity produced from Imboulou dam by next April," said the coordinator of the Imboulou project, Leon Armand Ibovi.

Once in operation, the first turbine is expected to supply 30 megawatts out of the 120 megawatts that will be available and will constitute the first solution to the electricity problem that Brazzaville is experiencing.

"These 30 megawatts will be entirely concentrated on the city of Brazzaville as we await the increase of power supply in March from another plant whose connection works have been executed to about 50 percent," Minister of Energy Bruno Jean Richard Itoua said.

The technical test of this turbine was launched by the head of state in the presence of Chinese Ambassador Li Shuli.

The first trials were conducted in December, according to Ibovi, involving temperature and the functioning of all auxiliary devices, especially the water circuit, oil, speed and voltage regulators.

"We have during this period made the whole system to work and even gone further to test a higher speed rate since this is important because it brings about the stability of the system," he said.

Despite a successful test, the arrival of the first 30 megawatts from Imboulou still remains pegged on the completion of the transportation network between Brazzaville and the Imboulou project, which has been done 80 percent.

Besides the dam, up to 95 percent of the work on the Imboulou hydroelectric complex has been accomplished, including a housing estate for people working at the power station, a drinking water conveyance section and a 56-km road between Inoni and Imboulou.

The project was launched on September 23, 2003 as part of cooperation steadily enhanced between China and Africa.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2010)