 The construction of a 225 km, 500kV transmission line, a new 500/22kV substation, and the extension of two further substations was partially funded ($30 million) by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in late 1998.A number of countries worked on the project The power house and civil works were constructed by China's Dongfang Electric Corporation; a 51.90 km power channel that took water from the river and then returned it after running it through a battery of Francis turbines was constructed by Italy; turbines came from Germany; and Japan supplied Toshiba generators.5 steel reinforced penstocks each measuring 10.6m in diameter were supplied by Austrian VA Tech Voest.