Twenty six trainees from African countries concluded on Monday their 40-day courses on small hydropower knowledge and techniques provided by the Chinese government

Co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Program and the Chinese government, Hangzhou Regional Centre (Asia-Pacific) for Small Hydro Power (HRC) gives training programs to developing countries with small hydropower technical know-how.

The 26 trainees are experts and technicians from 11 African countries including Rwanda, Guinea, Benin and Togo.

Since 2001, 49 African technicians have attended the training sessions, free of charge, said Zhu Xiaozhang, a senior engineer, also Honorary Director of HRC.

The training program involves all knowledge about how to build small hydropower plants from China's experience to specific techniques such as water energy mathematics, equipment maintenance, and how to choose a place to build a small hydropower plant, said Zhu.

"The techniques of China's small hydropower is among the most advanced in the world. What we have learnt in China will be applied in our countries for tapping potential water resources," said Etuaf Kuku Wonu, chief of Service Planning Department of Togo.

The steady economic development of African countries has resulted in the growing demands for electric power. However, Africa's electricity has been in short supply due to lack of enough investment and other reasons, said Zhou Wali, a senior official from Executive Bureau of International Economic Cooperation of China's Ministry of Commerce.

The World Bank has reported recently that half of African countries are suffering from electricity crisis, which greatly restricts the development of those countries.

According to the statistics from HRC, China has 45,000 small hydropower plants with generation capacity of 50 million kw at the end of 2006, ranking the first in the world.