Installation, testing, and commissioning work is underway at the Middle Tamor Hydropower Project, where the turbine equipment was manufactured by Chongqing Water Turbine Works Co., Ltd. (Photo/Chongqing Water Turbine Works Co., Ltd)
Chongqing - With orders secured through 2027, Chongqing Water Turbine Works Co., Ltd. holds more than one billion yuan (about 140 million U.S. dollars) in active contracts, roughly 70% of which are linked to overseas projects.
The Chongqing-based manufacturer has delivered more than 7,000 hydropower units to over 60 countries and contributed to around 200 hydropower stations worldwide. It has established steady client bases in markets such as Nepal, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. By 2019, overseas revenue accounted for more than one-third of its total business, making it one of Chongqing’s leading equipment exporters.
Since entering the Nepalese market in 1998, the company has installed its equipment in more than 20 hydropower plants. In May last year, it secured another electromechanical EPC contract valued at nearly 60 million yuan. The equipment it has supplied and put into operation in Nepal is now worth about 700 million yuan, where it holds a leading market share.
The company’s international expansion dates to the 1970s, when China began promoting turnkey equipment exports. Chairman Peng Zhong recalled, “We went overseas early, but our experience in developing foreign markets was limited.” At the time, the firm relied on technical capabilities built during China’s domestic hydropower boom to support overseas assistance projects, gradually earning recognition for equipment reliability.
Nepal’s first private hydropower station adopted the company’s main units and achieved stable performance. Cooperation expanded from one-time procurement to spare parts supply, upgrades, and maintenance services, encouraging additional local developers to adopt its equipment. Similar reputation effects later appeared in parts of Europe and Southeast Asia.
In 2007, an Italian client encountered the company’s equipment on an African project and initiated cooperation, resulting in an order worth nearly 100 million yuan. In 2009, a Vietnamese customer established contact by fax and signed a US$16 million contract the following year. These deals marked a shift toward more active overseas market development.
Around 2010, growth in China’s newly installed hydropower capacity slowed and competition intensified. The company repositioned overseas markets as a primary growth driver and established a dedicated foreign trade division in 2011. Moving beyond its earlier role as an equipment supplier within larger state-led projects, it began providing integrated technical support and on-site services, shifting toward electromechanical EPC contracting and full-process delivery.
Between 2010 and 2014, it executed several small EPC projects in Nepal, Pakistan, and Vietnam, building integrated capabilities across design, manufacturing, and commissioning. In 2015, it secured a large overseas EPC hydropower contract valued at more than 200 million yuan, marking a turning point in its business model. The company has since developed a full life-cycle service system covering design, fabrication, installation, commissioning, operation, and upgrades.
Localization has become central to its overseas competitiveness. Vice general manager Mou Lianjuan said, “Standards and needs differ by country and region, so solutions must reflect local realities through localized innovation.” Designs are adapted to varying hydrological and climatic conditions, including enhanced cooling and corrosion protection for Southeast Asia’s hot, humid environment, modified lubrication systems and start-up logic for high-latitude cold regions, and turbine configurations suited to Nepal’s variable water heads.
Project execution typically relies on a mix of Chinese and local teams to deliver installation and training, strengthening local maintenance capacity while supporting long-term performance.
With accumulated experience and growing brand recognition, the company’s overseas operations have continued to expand. In 2017, it developed a closed mixed-flow pump unit for a major Indian water conservancy project, achieving internationally advanced performance standards. In 2018, it signed a US$88 million overseas contract, a record at the time, and secured its tenth electromechanical EPC project in Nepal.