A Chinese joint venture consortium signed two contracts with the Myanmar electric power authorities Friday in Yangon on the implementation of the Yeywa hydropower project, the largest one in Myanmar.

The contracts, which worth over 125 million US dollars in total, were inked between the Chinese consortium made up of the China International Trust and Investment Corporation (CITIC) Technology Co. Ltd. and Sinohydro Corporation Ltd., and the Department of Hydroelectric Power under the Myanmar Ministry of Electric Power.

The signing was witnessed by Myanmar Minister of Electric Power Major-General Tin Htut and Minister of National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha as well as Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Li Jinjun and Vice Chairman and President of CITIC Group Kong Dan.

According to the contracts, the Chinese side will supply hydraulic steel structure and electromechanical equipment including turbine generators and transformers for the 790-megawatt (mw)-capacity hydropower project being implemented on the Myitnge River, 50 kilometers southeast of Mandalay.

On completion, the four-generator Yeywa hydropower plant will generate 3.55 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

The CITIC had completed implementing two hydropower projects in Myanmar with the 30-mw Thanphanseik power plant in Kanbalu, Sagaing division, in June 2002 and the 75-mw Mone power plant in Sedoktara, Magway division in December 2004.