Engineering firm doubles as ambassador

As a leading international engineering contractor and service provider, the China Machinery Engineering Corporation helps to foster closer ties between Africa and China through its high-quality projects in the Republic of Congo.

Over the past decade, CMEC has seen robust growth in the country by committing itself to such large national projects as power infrastructure, highways, water treatment facilities and telecommunication networks.

Those projects have had an incredible impact on the local quality of life, the company said.

One example is the Imboulou Hydropower Plant, the largest Sino-African cooperative project, which was launched in 2004.

Located in Brazzaville, capital of Congo, the plant consists of four electricity units and has a gross capacity of 120,000 kilowatts.

One of the country's major power stations, it is expected to generate an annual average electricity capacity of more than 681 million kilowatt-hours, which will meet the surging demand in the western and northern regions of the nation.

"Behind the glorious achievements are our engineers' grueling efforts against the adverse weather conditions and harsh living environment in the area," said the project manager.

Now, the Imboulou Hydropower Plant has become a landmark of Congo and a must-see destination for visiting foreign leaders.

CMEC is also providing lots of skilled workers during the process, injecting prosperity into the local market, according to the company.

It is a responsible and helpful corporate citizen in the eyes of local residents, the company said.

Over the years, CMEC has donated a variety of goods to institutions in the area, including stationery and sports equipment to schools as well as medicines to hospitals.

Its employees also share the burden of looking after sick villagers who are stricken with malaria and other diseases.

This year, the company was awarded the title of " the Chair of the Association of Chinese Enterprises in Congo".

The company said it will strive to deliver more high-quality projects in the nation in a bid to further deepen the friendship between the two countries.

Founded in 1978, CMEC is China's first large state-owned corporation to integrate engineering, contracting and foreign trade with industry.

As of the end of last June, the company has generated revenue totaling some 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion), with gross profit amounting to over 1.9 billion yuan, according to its financial report.

To date, the company has extended its business to more than 150 countries and regions in the fields of international contracting and foreign trade.

Its contract business covers a broad range of industries, such as power and energy, transportation, electronic communication, housing and architecture, manufacturing and processing, environmental protection, mining and resource prospecting.

Based on the financial data derived from the European Neighborhood Policy's top 225 international contractors list, CMEC is ranked sixth among all the global contractors, accounting for some 4 percent of the total revenue from the power sector generated by those companies, according to an official report.

The company is ranked among the top 10 overseas contractors in China by completed business volume, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/22/2013 page19)