post about dams such as Nam theun and Nam theun 2, and reservoirs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservoirs_and_dams_in_Laos

http://www.namtheun2.com/

http://www.namtheun2.com/templates/ntpc2/images/h1.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nam_Theun_2_Dam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_River_Basin_Hydropower

Ch Karnchang signs Xayaburi project deal

The Nation April 18, 2012 1:00 am

Despite the current row over the future of the Xayaburi hydropower project in Laos, Ch Karnchang has made another move to bring it to fruition.

The contractor yesterday informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand that its subsidiary, Ch Karnchang (Lao) Co, had signed a Bt51.8-billion engineering, procurement and construction contract for the Xayaburi hydroelectric power plant with Xayaburi Power Co.

Established in 2010 with initial capital of Bt800 million, Xayaburi Power is a subsidiary of Ch Karnchang. It holds a concession for the 1.28-gigawatt power project, which is estimated to cost Bt115 billion.

Ch Karnchang's stock closed at Bt8.10 yesterday, unchanged from the previous closing price. It hit Bt8.30 per share during the day.

Plew Trivisvavet, chief executive officer of Ch Karnchang, said construction was scheduled to commence on March 15 for completion in 96 months. When it starts up, 95 per cent of the output would be sold to Thailand.

The project faces stiff protests from environmentalists who fear that the dam above the Mekong River would affect the ecological system and millions of villagers. The Mekong River Commission (MRC), comprising Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, in 2010 agreed to subject this mainstream dam to approval by the region's governments through a regional decision-making process called the "Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement".

Because of the massive risk and impacts associated with the Xayaburi and other Mekong mainstream dams, a strategic environmental assessment published in October 2010 by the MRC recommends that decision-making on these dams be deferred for 10 years.

Last December, the four governments met again and agreed to postpone the decision over Xayaburi until a joint study on the trans-boundary impacts of the Mekong mainstream dams was carried out.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Ch-Karnchang-signs-Xayaburi-project-deal-30180147.html

http://www.gaupalao.com/nam-ngum-2-power-co-ltd-2/

http://www.gaupalao.com/nam-ngum-2-power-co-ltd/

Laos to boost hydro-electricity output by a quarter



Deutsche Presse-Agentur July 5, 2012 7:27 pm

Vientiane (dpa) - Laos plans to boost electricity output by 26 per cent next year, state media reported Thursday.





According to the Ministry of Planning, the completion of four new dams by the end of 2012 should boost the country’s electricity output by 664 megawatts, the Vientiane Times reported.

Laos currently has 17 operational hydropower plants with a power production capacity of about 2,560 megawatts.

The land-locked country exports an estimated 64 per cent of its electricity to neighbouring Thailand, but imports electricity from Thailand, China and Vietnam to meet its domestic needs.

The government says it hopes to end electricity imports by 2015.

About 78 per cent of households in Laos have access to electricity.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Laos-to-boost-hydro-electricity-output-by-a-quarte-30185600.html

Lao needs more dam to earn more hard currency from both Thailand and Mainland China as well as to give the real power to drive the proposed High Speed Train with China

Work restarts at Xayaburi dam in Laos -project leader
(Yahoo News/Reuters, Aug. 16)

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Work has resumed on a controversial $3.5 billion dam across the Mekong River in Laos, its Thai developer said on Thursday, contradicting Laotian assurances it had been suspended following protests over its environmental impact.

Laos agreed in December to suspend the Xayaburi dam project and said on July 13 work had stopped after neighbors' Cambodia and Vietnam repeatedly expressed concern that the 1,285 megawatt dam would harm migratory fish and the livelihood of downstream villages.

"We are still working on the project. We haven't received a formal letter from the Lao government that we should suspend or put the project on hold," Plew Trivisvavet, Chief Executive Officer at Thailand's Ch Karnchang Pcl, told reporters. The government of Laos made no immediate comment.

more: http://omg.yahoo.com/news/restarts-xayaburi-dam-laos-project-leader-085210996.html?_esi=1

Xayaburi hydro project on schedule, Energy Ministry says

The Nation August 25, 2012 1:00 am

The Xayaburi hydropower project is on schedule to begin supplying electricity in 2019, as the Laotian government has given no written notice of its cancellation or postponement, said Norkun Sitthiphong, permanent secretary of the Thai Energy Ministry.

The Xayaburi hydropower project is on schedule to begin supplying electricity in 2019, as the Laotian government has given no written notice of its cancellation or postponement, said Norkun Sitthiphong, permanent secretary of the Thai Energy Ministry.

He confirmed this after confusing reports in the past few months over the progress of the project.

Laos said it would update neighbouring countries, which are concerned about environmental impacts along the Mekong River, on the progress of the project and heed their advice. But Vietnamese officials said they had not received any such information.

On August 7, conservationists and residents from eight Thai provinces along the Mekong River lodged a petition with the Administrative Court against the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), the Energy Ministry and the Cabinet over their involvement with the Xayaburi dam. Much of the 1,285 megawatts of power from the US$3.8billion (Bt127billion) project will be sold to Thailand, as part of the country's revised Power Development Plan (PDP 2010).

Norkun said yesterday that the ministry had not been notified in writing by the Laotian government of cancellation or postponement of the project. He also expressed confidence that the power feed would begin on schedule, around October 2019.

"The Xayaburi power plant plays a crucial role in Thailand's power development. Aside from reasonable prices, hydropower also helps Thailand reduce its dependence on natural gas for power generation," he said.

He said the power purchase agreement signed by Egat and the developer had been approved by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), as required by the National Energy Policy Council. It was also screened by the Office of the AttorneyGeneral and disclosed to the public. He expects the project developer to clear up any further doubts.

The project is being developed by Xayaburi Power, which is 50 per cent owned by Ch Karnchang, 12.5 per cent by Electricity Generating (Egco Group), 25 per cent by Natee Synergy, 7 per cent by Bangkok Expressway, and 5 per cent by PT Construction and Irrigation. Natee Synergy is a subsidiary owned by PTT International. Ch Karnchang on April 17 signed a $2.4billion contract with Xayaburi Power.

Sahust Pratuknukul, president of Egco Group, said construction of the project had kicked off and his company had put in its investment. However, the construction work so far has focused on inland infrastructure such as roads, not yet reaching the Mekong River.

He said he was confident that the project would be ready for commercial operation in 2019 and that Xayaburi Power could clear up any points of concern.

Under the 29year power purchase contract, Egat will pay a fixed price for electricity. The average price of Bt2.16 per kilowatthour throughout the period at the border point of sale is lower than the Bt2.90 per kilowatthour for power from a coalfired plant and Bt4.30 from a gasfired plant.

On advice from the MRC, the Laotian government in May decided to suspend construction on the Mekong but allowed inland work.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Xayaburi-hydro-project-on-schedule-Energy-Ministry-30189040.html

Lao dam breaks ground
Tuesday, 04 September 2012 Shane Worrell



Xayaburi dam construction site in northern Laos. Photograph: Phnom Penh Post
A waterfall has been blasted less than two kilometres from the Cambodian-Lao border, beginning work on another unapproved hydroelectric dam on the Mekong river, environmental group International Rivers claimed yesterday.

Pianporn Deetes, the Thailand campaign coordinator for International Rivers, said she had learned of the excavation work, near Khone Falls, the largest in South East Asia, during a recent visit to Champasak province, where the Lao government proposes to build the Don Sahong hydroelectric dam.

“Villagers reported that the dam builders have already blasted a waterfall near the [dam] site,” she said, adding this happened late last year. “Lao officials have told the villagers that they will not be allowed to fish with Ly fishing gear [large bamboo traps] in the area beginning in 2014.”

Currently, fish are able to migrate downstream through Laos and into Cambodia through the 50- to 100-metre-wide Hou Sahong channel year-round; however, the Lao government will block this migration avenue, diverting fish through an alternative five metre-wide passage where the blasted waterfall had been.

“The dam’s construction, and the end of Ly fishing, is a major concern because local people depend so heavily on fishing for their livelihoods,” Deetes said.

Although much less powerful than the proposed 1,285 megawatt Xayaburi dam in northern Laos, Don Sahong, which could have a capacity of 380 megawatts, would also threaten Cambodian fishing communities downstream because of its potential to block the Hou Sahong channel, the only section of the Mekong that fish pass through during the dry season, IR said.

The Malaysian company Mega First Corporation is contracted to build Don Sahong, but fellow Mekong River Commission states Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand have not agreed to the project – a requirement under a 1995 pact.

Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia program director for IR, said the Don Sahong dam would be disastrous for the Mekong river’s fisheries: “Like the Xayaburi dam, the impacts would be trans-boundary.”

Villagers living near the Don Sahong dam site had reported that Mega First had blasted the waterfall in order to create a small fish passage, she said.

“The Lao government should immediately clarify the current status of the Don Sahong dam and provide an update on the channel excavation work that has occurred in the Khone Falls,” Trandem said.

When contacted yesterday, a Mega First Corporation employee who declined to give his name said construction of the dam was a long way off.

“We have definitely not begun building this dam,” he said. “We haven’t even appointed a contractor.”

The company had not undertaken any work at the site and still needed approval for the project from the MRC, he said. “There will be nothing until the end of next year.”

Trandem said she was concerned the Lao government would say work at the site was “preparatory”, as it had with work at the unapproved Xayaburi dam.

Cambodian National Mekong Committee secretary-general Te Navuth said he was shocked to hear of work at the Don Sahong site.

“We understand this project is one of 11 planned on the [Mekong’s] main stream . . . but I am surprised to hear this name mentioned now,” he said, adding that he had received no recent information about it.

The Lao ministries of foreign affairs and water resources and environment could not be reached for comment.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2012090458484/National-news/lao-dam-breaks-ground.html

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/images/stories/news/national/2012/120904/120904_06d.jpg

Second Mekong Dam Awaits Nod

2012-10-18
A Lao energy official says construction on the Pak Beng dam is pending approval from the government.

AFP
A stretch of the Mekong River near Pak Beng in Laos near the Thai border, Oct. 16, 2009.
Developers of a second dam proposed on the Mekong River in Laos have completed the design and impact assessment for the project and are awaiting the government green light to proceed with construction, according to an energy official.

The Pak Beng dam, to be located north of Luang Prabang in northwestern Laos’ Oudomxay province, was designed by Chinese developer Datang Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. through a memorandum of understanding between the Lao and Chinese governments signed in August 2007.

Construction on the project is only awaiting a nod from the government, a source from the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mining told RFA’s Lao service, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“It’s a Mekong dam. The design and everything else has been completed,” the source said.

“We’re just waiting for the government’s agreement to proceed.”

The dam will cost U.S. $1.88 billion to complete and generate 1,300 megawatts of energy when operable. The dam is estimated to be online by 2018 if the government allows construction to proceed.

If approved, the dam would be the second project of its kind on the Mekong River in Laos after the controversial Xayaburi dam for which initial construction work had already begun, despite opposition from environmentalists and neighboring nations.

Resource-starved Laos hopes to become the “battery” of Southeast Asia by selling hydroelectric power to its neighbors.

In September, Lao energy minister Soulivong Daravong said that the government would not shelve plans to build the U.S. $3.5 billion Xayaburi dam—the first of 11 proposed dams on the main stream of the Lower Mekong River.

Two months earlier, Lao Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith announced at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that the project had been put off pending further studies.

But official media in Laos has said the government would allow developer Ch. Karnchang, a Thai company, to proceed with “scheduled” activities at the construction site, including the resettlement of affected villagers.

The dam has drawn criticism from neighbors Cambodia and Vietnam, which have jointly urged Laos to suspend the project to allow more time for a comprehensive review.

In August, a group of Thai villagers opposed to the dam submitted a lawsuit against five Thai government agencies, saying the government should not have agreed to purchase electricity from the dam without further study.

The project is being financed by a consortium of Thai banks.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC), an intergovernmental body including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam which manages development along Southeast Asia's main waterway, had also ruled that the dam project should not proceed until further assessment was conducted.

The decision followed an earlier recommendation by an expert study group for a 10-year moratorium on all mainstream Mekong dams due to a need for further research on their potentially catastrophic environmental and socioeconomic impact.


http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/dam-10182012181106.html

Laos approves Mekong dam despite objections

Published: 6/11/2012 at 12:10 AM Online news: Economics

VIENTIANE: The Lao government has approved the construction of the US$3.5-billion Xayaburi dam on the Mekong River despite objections from environmentalists, said a senior official Monday.

"We will have a ground-breaking ceremony in Xayaburi on Wednesday," said Viraphonh Viravong, deputy minister of energy and mines.

The ceremony will mark the beginning of work in the river bed, with construction on access roads and facilities already under way.

The hydroelectric project is to be the first run-of-river dam to be built on the lower Mekong. Four dams have already been built on the upper Mekong in China.



The project has been criticised by environmentalists, neighbouring countries and downstream riverside communities for its possible impact on the flow of sediments and fish migration.

An organisation called the Network of Thai People in Eight Mekong Provinces held a flotilla protest Monday of 45 boats on the Thai side of the river in Nong Khai, across from Vientiane which is currently hosting the Asia-Europe Meeting that has drawn about 50 Asian and European leaders to the Lao capital.

"We want the visiting leaders to be aware of the Xayaburi dam project and the impact it is going to have on people living downstream," said the network's spokeswoman Pianporn Deetes.

"We've already seen a negative impact from the Chinese dams on the upper Mekong in terms of greater fluctuations in the river's flow."

There are 10 more dams planned on the lower Mekong, Southeast Asia's longest river and one of the world's richest sources of fish, worth an estimated $2 billion per annum.

Last December, members of the Mekong River Commission's council, consisting of water and environment ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, urged a delay to allow further environmental research.

In response, the Lao government and its chief partner in the project, Thailand's Ch Karnchang Plc, agreed to spend an additional $100 million to revamp the design of a fish ladder and sediment flow gates.

The recommendations were made by project consultants Poyry of Finland and the French Compagnie Nationale du Rhone and incorporated into a new design for the project.

"They have no more serious complaints on the redesign of the dam," said Mr Viraphonh of Laos' neighbours.

The country already has 13 hydroelectric plants in operation with a total capacity for 3,000 megawatts.

The Xayaburi project, to be operational by 2019, will be one of its largest, with more than 90% of its electricity to be exported to neighbouring Thailand.

"Xayaburi is a very good project," he said. "The financing is there and if we don't go ahead what are we expected to do? Solar farming? It's too expensive."

Pienporn Deetes, International Rivers' campaign coordinator for Thailand, criticised the Lao's government decision to go ahead with construction.

Villagers downstream will be severely affected by the dam, she told the Bangkok Post, adding cross-border impacts will be greater after the construction, including ecological damage and the effect on the livelihood of people along the river.

"What we wanted to see was a decision based on knowledge rather than economic and political reasons," said Ms Pienporn. "This is not a project that will bring about sustainability for people in the region."

She rejected the revamped environmental report,saying it was hastily written with no consultation from downstream members. "We've never seen the study," she added.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/319691/laos-approves-mekong-dam-despite-objections

Thai govt suports Xayaburi dam

Published: 6/11/2012 at 04:58 PM Online news:

The Thai government on Tuesday supported Vientiane's decision to begin immediate construction of the controversial Xayaburi hydropower dam on the lower Mekong River - which downstream communities and environmentalists have strongly opposed.

''The Thai government is not opposed to the project,'' said Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichachaikul, speaking at the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Vientiane, Laos.

''The Lao government has already conducted studies that show there would be no impact on the environment and fisheries,'' Mr Surapong said

Laos will hold a ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday in Xayaburi province to mark the start of riverbed construction on the 120-billion-baht project.

The date was chosen to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, still a significant date in communist Laos which used to be a member of the Soviet bloc, government sources said.

In December, members of the Mekong River Commission's council, consisting of water and environment ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, urged a delay to allow further studies on how to mitigate the environmental impact of the dam, the first proposed for the lower Mekong.

In response, Laos and its chief partner in the project, Thailand's Ch Karnchang Plc, agreed to spend an additional 100 million dollars to revamp the design of a fish ladder and sediment flow gates.

Lao Deputy Energy and Mines Minister Viraphonh Viravong said the redesign has satisfied all parties, including Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

''There is no need for their formal approval,'' Mr Viraphonh said of Laos' neighbours that share the Mekong as a valuable natural resource. So far, only Thailand has openly expressed its support of the project.

In the past, the Xayaburi project faced strong opposition from neighbouring governments and environmentalist groups who raised questions about its impact on sediment flows downstream and fish migration.

The lower Mekong Basin has a fisheries sector worth an estimated 78 billion baht per year.

``The food security and jobs of millions of people in the region are now on the line,'' said Ame Trandem, Southeast Asia program director for International Rivers.

``Laos has never even collected basic information about the ways that people depend on the river, so how can it say that there will be no impacts?'' Ms Trandem said.

Ultimately, the decision to go ahead with the project lies with Laos, as the dam site is in Lao territory.

''Laos wants to build the Xayaburi dam to increase it's electricity exports to Thailand,'' Mr Surapong said. ''That's what Laos wants, and the dam is inside Lao territory.''

The country already has 13 hydroelectric plants in operation with a total capacity for 3,000 megawatts.

The Xayaburi project, to be operational by 2019, will be one of its largest, with more than 90% of its electricity to be exported to neighbouring Thailand.

http://bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/319838/thailand-backs-xayaburi-dam

Now, those hydroelectric power is not just for hard currency by exportation, it has been spent to fuel the Bauxite extraction/refinery for aluminium along with gold refinery and copper refinery to feed Chinese industry though ...

Need more local people to participate in the construction of xayaburi Dam
http://www.rfa.org/lao/news-about-laos/lao-people-should-be-allowed-to-decide-dam-construction-11152012112220.html

Who reap the real benefits from xayaburi dam?
http://www.rfa.org/lao/news-about-laos/thailand-cambodia-vietnam-discuss-xayaburi-dam-11142012122501.html

Filing the case against xayaburi dam to Admin Court
http://www.rfa.org/lao/news-about-laos/thai-court-urged-to-speed-up-xayaburi-dam-case-11162012140832.html

Asking to reveal the way to install power line from xayaburi Dam
http://www.rfa.org/lao/news-about-laos/thai-official-urged-reveal-installation-power-cables-11162012132004.html

12 Billion Baht Investment to install power line from xayaburi Dam
http://www.rfa.org/lao/news-about-laos/thai-to-built-facilities-receiving-power-from-xayaburi-dam-11132012152526.html

Chinese firms look to build test centre for Lao dams

Two Chinese companies have expressed interest in setting up a state training and civil engineer experiment centre in Laos, to facilitate future hydropower development.

The two companies, Sinohydro Group and HydroChina Kunming Engineering Corporation, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines in Vientiane yesterday.

The MoU will allow the Chinese companies to conduct a feasibility study of the project over a period of 18 months.

Director General of the Department of Energy Policy and Planning, Dr Daovong Phonekeo, representing the Ministry of Energy and Mines, signed the agreement with the two companies.

If the feasibility study results are positive, construction of the centre can begin. It would be the first facility of its kind in Laos, government officials said on Monday.

The companies say they would spend about US$5 million to build the training and experiment centre in Dongbang village, Xaythany district.

Testing of the functions of hydropower dams such as Xayaboury currently have to be carried out in other countries.

The Chinese companies will send experts to instruct Lao officials. The training and experiment centre would also feature models of dams built in Laos.

Laos has high potential for hydropower development and is poised to take advantage of the rising demand for energy in the region.

The government believes hydropower development can help Laos to escape least-developed country status by 2020.

Electricity generation can also aid economic growth and development in Laos and the region.

Laos has the potential to develop about 100 hydropower dams with a total capacity of 28,000MW. Currently, 17 dams are in operation with a total installed capacity of 2,500MW.

Hydropower accounts for about one third of the capital wealth of the entire country.

By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update December 11, 2012)

http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_Chinese%20firms.htm

Nam Ngum 5 dam powers up

T he Nam Ngum 5 dam in Luang Prabang province officially began generating electricity on Sunday after Sinohydro Corporation Ltd began building the plant in 2008.


President Choummaly Sayasone ( centre ) cuts a ribbon to open commercial operation of the Nam Ngum 5 hydropower dam in Luang Prabang province.

The US$200 million dam has an installed capacity of 120MW, with planned annual power generation of 507GWh. The dam is located on the Ting River, a right bank tributary of the Nam Ngum River, and is about 300km north of Vientiane.

A ceremony to mark the start of commercial operations took place at the powerhouse, and was attended by President Choummaly Sayasone, Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad and Lao and Chinese government officials.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of Sinohydro Group Ltd, Mr Zong Dun Feng, said the dam will generate much needed electricity for the north of the country and will help to drive the development process.

The Nam Ngum 5 hydropower plant is an important part of the government's socio-economic development plan, especially in the energy and mines sector, said Minister of Energy and Mines Soulivong Daravong.

The dam will produce electricity for domestic and overseas supply and will help to expand the power grid in line wit h the government's plan.

By 2015, the electricity grid should reach 80 percent of households in Laos and 90 percent by 2020, Mr Soulivong said.

The project is a joint venture between China's Sinohydro Corporation and Electricite du Laos (EDL) and has a 25-year concession agreement. After the end of the concession period, ownership of the plant will be transferred to the Lao government.

The project is operating under the build-operate-transfer model. This is a type of arrangement in which the private sector builds a project, operates it and eventually transfers ownership to the government.

Mr Soulivong said he believed the project would be a model for similar hydropower plants, including those under construction and in the planning stages.

The project also serves to strengthen economic ties between the Lao and Chinese governments.

A memorandum of under standing on the project was signed between the Lao government and Sinohydro Corporation in 2004, and has been strongly supported by the Lao and Chinese governments. The Sinohydro Corporation holds an 85 percent share in the venture, while EDL has a 15 percent shar e.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment granted an investment licence to the project investors in 2007.

The main dam is located in Luang Prabang province, while the powerhouse is situated in Xieng Khuang province.

The project consists of main three parts - water retention, water diversion, and the powerhouse.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update December 11, 2012)

http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_Nam%20Ngum%205.htm

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/431196_266369496825772_1869595928_n.jpg
No more Xayabouli dam - Whewre is the water for Mekhong? Comaprison fo water level at Wat Chumphon, Ban Phranphrao, Sri Chiangmai District of Nong Khai (opposite of downtown Viengchan from 5 Nov 2012 to 12 Jan 2013
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=266369496825772&set=a.258156184313770.60606.191353210994068&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

THPC completes Laos' Theun Hinboun hydro development project
VIENTIANE, Laos
01/15/2013


0
Twitter
0
LinkedIn

0
Share
Laotian utility Theun Hinboun Power Company (THPC) has commissioned two new hydro projects that will double its renewable production to 3 TWh annually, HydroWorld.com has learned.
The US$650 million project, which included an expansion of the 220-MW Theun-Hinboun complex and the construction of the new 60-MW Nam Gnouang hydro plant, will be operated and maintained by Norway's Statkraft.
"The expansion project in Laos is a very good example of how we can exploit large, renewable hydropower resources in combination with sustainable solutions," Statkraft President and CEO Christian Rynning-Tonnesen said. "With this new power plant, Norweigian hydropower expertise contributes to profitable, environmentally friendly and sustainable investments internationally."
Also included in the Theun Hinboun project are a new dam and transmission lines.
Statkraft and Thailand's GMS Power each own 20% of THPC, with the remainder held by Laotian energy company EDL Generation.

http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/hydro/2013/january/thpc-completes-laos-theun-hinboun-hydro-development-project.html

Vietnam and Cambodia hit back at landmark Laos dam
Vietnam urged Laos to halt construction of a $3.5 billion hydropower dam pending further study, environmental activists said on Friday after a meeting of the Mekong River Commission.

The activists said Cambodia, also downriver from the Xayaburi dam, accused Laos during heated discussions on Wednesday and Thursday of failing to consult on the project.Read more (http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_vietnam-and-cambodia-hit-back-at-landmark-laos-dam_1790143)

Manthorpe: Laos’ Mekong River hydro dam riles neighboursLaos’ determination to become “the battery of Southeast Asia” by building a cascade of hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River is meeting growing alarm and resistance from not only neighbouring countries, but also foreign governments funding the river’s management organization.

There was pointed criticism levelled at the Laotian government by neighbours Cambodia and Vietnam during a heated meeting last week of the council of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) together with representatives of its nearly 20 supporting international donors.
Read more (http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Manthorpe+Laos+Mekong+River+hydro+riles+neighbours/7846322/story.html#ixzz2IaCb2RUm)

Laotian government signs land lease for 390-MW Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project
VIENTIANE, Laos
02/04/2013


4
Twitter
1
LinkedIn

9
Share
A 32-year land lease will allow investors to continue development of the 390-MW Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project in Laos' Champassak and Attapeu provinces, HydroWorld.com has learned.
The US$830 million Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydroelectric plant is a joint venture between the Laotian government (which holds a 24% share), Korea's SK Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (26%), Korean Western Power Co. Ltd. (25%) and Thailand's Ratchaburi Electric Generating Holding PLC (25%).
HydroWorld.com reported the group had signed a project development agreement with the Laotian government in November 2008, which followed a series of feasibility studies, construction preparation, an environmental impact assessment and a social impact study.
Now with a land lease worth approximately $1 million, construction of Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy (also spelled Xae Pien-Xae Nam Noi and other variations) is expected to begin in July.
When completed in 2019, officials said about 90% of the power generated by Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy will be exported to Thailand with the remainder being kept in Laos.
The project will create a reservoir that will cover about 238 hectares in the Xe Kong River Valley and reflects Laos' efforts to become the "battery of the region."

http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2013/february/laotian-government-signs-land-lease-for-390-mw-xe-pian-xe-namnoy.html