PowerChina, Power Construction Corp from China looks forward to establishing its operations in almost every African market in the coming five years. This growth is going to be propelled by clean energy plants, hydropower as well as gas-fired stations. South Africa happens to be the key focus, with numerous renewable projects underway.
The state-owned Power Construction Corp – PowerChina of China is seeking significant growth in Africa, stressing renewable energy projects that are a part of its overseas expansion strategy, one of the company executives confirmed.
The Chinese lending to African governments has seen a sharp dip from a 2016 peak of almost $28 billion every year as Beijing is becoming more cautious on debt risk; however, the state-backed companies like PowerChina are still pushing ahead with certain new projects, especially within the renewable energy gamut as compared to coal.
It is well to be noted that Africa is the second home of PowerChina, said Chen Guanfu, the company executive, at a Bloomberg event on November 18, 2025, adding that it looks to establish operations in around every African market in five years. Chen remarked that Africa comprises about 30% of the overseas revenue of the state-owned Power Construction Corp from China, with the figure forecasted to see a growth of 40-45% by the end of this decade. The company anticipates the growth to be driven by the rising development of hydropower dams, clean-energy plants as well as gas-fired power stations.
Notably, in South Africa, PowerChina houses renewable energy projects of almost $3.5 billion, which includes solar photovoltaic installations as well as the Redstone concentrated solar power project. The company has in the past also delivered projects like the Adama wind farm in Ethiopia.
Underscoring the Oya hybrid renewable energy project in South Africa, Chen went on to describe it as a landmark effort in order to stabilize the power coming from intermittent green sources. The project is in partnership with Eskom from South Africa and also others. Chen said that the project is a pilot model that is not just for Africa but also for over 100 overseas markets of PowerChina.
