African countries can secure better outcomes from Chinese-supported power projects by learning from Ghana, a new report argued.

The Energy for Growth Hub, a Washington-based think tank, said the West African nation delivered five solar, hydro, and gas projects with China between 2013 and 2020 “at reasonable cost, on relatively strong timelines, and with fewer quality problems” than elsewhere in the region.

It noted four lessons from Ghana that other countries could use: set cost benchmarks, use competitive tendering, hire expert negotiators, and invest in construction oversight. Ghana’s experience of Chinese-supported power plants, the think tank wrote, shows the host government, which often owns the asset and carries the debt, must “drive the terms, standards, and delivery.”