Built in 1987–2007 by the Russian company Tekhnopromexport, general designer - the institute Hydroproject (Chief Engineer - Ph.D Fedosov V.E.)

An additional cost of more than US$400 million was spent in repairing the damage caused during UNITA's occupation of the area at the time of the Angolan Civil War in 1992 and 1999.

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Angola, formed a cabinet management group to manage construction for the Central Kwanza (GAMEK) contractor consortium of Capanda, which included the Soviet foreign trade association "Tekhnopromexport", and the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

The successfully project passed inspection by the state experts from the organizations of USSR, Angola and Brazil.

After UNITA left the area, the construction site was bare except for the remaining concrete dam wall.

Despite the fact that de-mining had been carried out, almost immediately after the resumption of construction, at least two large dump truck were destroyed by mines.