An aerial view of the Lower Sesan II Hydropower Plant in Cambodia (Photo/CRI Online)

China now ranks among the world’s most competitive countries when it comes to hydroelectricity, with overseas hydropower facilities distributed throughout more than 140 countries and regions, cpnn.com.cn reported on Jan. 22.

With their advantages in technology, human resources, and capital, Chinese enterprises represent 70 percent of the global hydropower market, said He Jiansheng, chief engineer of China Energy Engineering Group Co. Ltd.

It takes less money and time to build hydropower projects with Chinese technologies, He said, adding that Chinese banks such as the Bank of China and China Development Bank have provided loans for the construction of large-scale hydropower plants in Nigeria, Pakistan, Argentina, and Angola.

He said that Chinese companies have now invested more than 200 billion yuan in hydroelectricity projects in 40 Belt and Road countries and regions.

Zhang Ye, President of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering, said Chinese companies built about 320 hydropower plants overseas with a total installed capacity of 81 million kilowatts.