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Sudan deals on heightening dam on Blue Nile

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-28 14:52

The Sudanese government and two Chinese companies on Sunday signed a contract of heightening the Russaires Dam on the Blue Nile River at the cost of $396 million.

Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir and a number of cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials attended the signing ceremony held at the Friendship Hall, as well as representatives of the two Chinese companies -- the Sinahydro Corporation and the China International Water and Electric Corporation.

Addressing the ceremony, Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Kamal Ali Mohammed said the heightening of the Russaires Dam comes in implementation of the National Comprehensive Strategy and the Nile Water Agreement signed by Sudan and Egypt in 1959.

He said the heightening of the Russaires Dam is the second phase aimed to increase the stored water from 3 billion to 7.3 billion cubic meters and increase the electricity power generation by 50 percent, adding that the heightening of Russaires Dam will double the electricity generation of the Sennar Dam and will boost the capability of the Merowe Dam on the Nile River.

The heightening of the Russaires Dam will support the irrigated agriculture and expansion of agriculture in the Blue Nile, Sennar and Nahral-Neil States, the Sudanese minister noted.

He said implementation of the project will pose a strong backup to the existing four dams in Sudan as well as the Merowe Dam in northern Sudan, which is currently being built by another Chinese company.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Minister of Finance, Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz, congratulated the Chinese companies which won the contract for implementation of heightening the Russaires Dam, besides the two Australian and French companies which won the consultant contract, calling on them to speed up efforts to accomplish the project.

Al-Jaz said Sudan is now making progress in utilizing its resources and realizing development.

Chinese Ambassador to Sudan, Li Chengwen, lauded the deeply rooted ties between the two countries, adding that his government is encouraging Chinese companies to positively participate and make more contributions in the development process in Sudan.