en.Wedoany.com Reported - The N'zilo 2 Hydropower Station project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recently completed the closure of the main river, with the left bank diversion tunnel simultaneously achieving flow. This closure successfully met the established goal of being "safe, orderly, and accomplished in one attempt," marking the official transition of the project into the main dam construction phase and creating conditions for subsequent on-schedule power generation.
During the closure construction period, the project faced multiple challenges, including complex hydrological conditions, narrow canyon terrain, and cross-border material supply assurance. All participating parties implemented full-process coordinated management for aspects such as hydrological monitoring, geological assessment, equipment dispatch, and local collaboration, optimizing the construction plans for closure advancement and dumping diversion multiple times. Through real-time monitoring of river flow and changes in closure gap velocity, multiple heavy machinery units worked in coordination to orderly dump closure embankment rockfill, ultimately successfully completing the closure task.
The completion of the river closure will provide favorable conditions for subsequent main project construction, including foundation excavation, slope support, and roller-compacted concrete pouring. Next, the project will simultaneously advance the civil works for the water diversion and power generation system, fabrication and installation of metal structures, electromechanical equipment installation, and construction of the operations village, ensuring steady progress across all project milestones.
The N'zilo 2 Hydropower Station is located in the middle reaches of the Lualaba River in Lualaba Province, approximately 60 kilometers from the city of Kolwezi. It is the second stage in a four-stage cascade development of the river basin. Upstream of the station is the N'zilo 1 Hydropower Station, commissioned in 1953, while downstream is the N'seke Hydropower Station, commissioned in 1954. The Busanga Hydropower Station, completed in 2021, is the final stage of this river section. The station has an installed capacity of 200 megawatts, and its reservoir has seasonal regulation capability, with a normal water level set at 1,162.5 meters and a regulating storage capacity of 202 million cubic meters. The pivot project consists of a roller-compacted concrete gravity dam, a powerhouse at the dam toe, a right bank spillway, and bottom outlets. Prior to the river closure, the project had successively completed the diversion tunnel and river-crossing bridge works, as well as the construction of two access roads, and the dam section commenced construction earlier this year.
Once fully operational, the project will provide long-term power security for China Molybdenum Co., Ltd.'s (CMOC) operations in the DRC and increase the proportion of clean energy usage. This project is also positioned as a public welfare initiative, helping to ensure electricity supply for residents in the surrounding area, while driving local employment, manufacturing development, and infrastructure upgrades. Since the beginning of this year, CMOC has established a Power Business Division, strengthening platform-based construction around key areas such as electricity, committed to building a modern mining platform with stable growth and strong risk resilience.
