The Kaleta Hydropower Station, the largest cooperative project between China and the Republic of Guinea, has gone into operation after three years of construction.

All three of the plant’s generators have started to yield electricity and they will generate 965GW hour of power per year, said the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank), which lent $335m to the project, Xinhua agency reported.

Its installation is intended to ease electricity supply shortages in Guinea and help improve the local economy and people’s life. The West African country is one of the world’s least developed countries.

The country’s more than 10m inhabitants are subject to widespread rolling blackouts, which are common occurrences. During the commissioning ceremony President Alpha Conde said about 30% of Kaleta’s output would go to neighboring Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.

According to HidroWorld.com the completion of the Kaleta scheme increases Guinea’s hydroelectric generating capacity from 2012 levels of 128MW to 368MW. Conakry is Guinea’s largest city with a population of more than 1.7m and Kaleta will provide Conarky’s residents with stable power for the first time ever.

Guinea is in the process of furthering its hydroelectric generation capabilities to 1,008MW.