How African Countries Can Get Better Value from Chinese-Supported Power Projects

 Energy for Growth Hub published on 18 May 2026 an article titled "Four Ways African Countries Can Secure Better Outcomes from Chinese-supported Power Projects" by Naa Adjekai Adjei.

Ghana's experience with Chinese-supported power projects demonstrates that it is possible to achieve better results with cost benchmarking, competitive procurement, stronger finance negotiation, and project oversight expertise.

Chinese Dam Construction in Africa

Xiao Han's 329 page PhD thesis at the University of Melbourne dated March 2018 and titled "Money, Markets and Hydropower: Chinese Dam Construction in Africa" is available on-line.

The thesis aims to clarify the formation of goals, practices and consequences of Chinese outward investment through the lens of the Chinese government's and corporations' engagement in African dam construction. The thesis applies a technopolitical approach to disentangling the historical, technical, political, social and environmental complexity associated with dams and proceeds with a life cycle analysis of a specific project in Africa: the Bui Dam in Ghana.