Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam have urged fellow Mekong River Commission member Laos to address cross-border and environmental impact issues following consultations on its Pak Lay hydropower dam project. On Thursday, the MRC member countries agreed on a statement on the proposed project, after they concluded a six-month prior consultation process. The statement called on Laos […]

VIENTIANE, April 19 (Xinhua) — For most of the villagers living along the River of Nam Tha in Bokeo province in northern Laos, they have never expected that their life would been changed so much with the Chinese-built Nam Tha 1 Hydropower Plant. The project is the first overseas BOT (build-operation-transfer) hydropower project carried out […]

The Thai government must suspend plans to buy electricity from a dam in Lao, conservationists said Friday, as water levels along the kingdom’s section of Mekong river plummet to near-record lows. The Thai-built Xayaburi dam, a few hours from the northern Lao town of Luang Prabang, is set to be completed in October, the latest […]

NONG KHAI: The first hydropower dam on the lower Mekong River began commercial operations in Laos on Tuesday amid protests from Thai villagers who say the Xayaburi Dam and several others in the works will destroy their livelihoods. The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam’s debut coincides with parts of the Mekong drying to a trickle even at the end […]

BANGKOK – A multi-billion dollar hydro-electric power plant on the Mekong river in Laos was officially switched on Tuesday, as drone images of dried-up downstream areas stirred fresh outcry on one of the world’s great rivers. READ: World biggest hydroelectric dam planned for Africa The Thai-owned Xayaburi dam has been a lightning rod for criticism even before construction began […]

The government is encouraging the building of environmentally-friendly hydropower plants to ensure green growth and sustainable poverty reduction, according to a senior government official. “The government is highly encouraged to promote environmentally-friendly and sustainable hydropower projects,” Deputy Minister of Natural Resource and Environment, Ms Bounkham Vorachit, said on November 5. “Therefore, all development projects need […]

Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. announces that the 290-MW Nam Ngiep 1 hydropower plant has begun commercial operations. The plant is operated by Nam Ngiep 1 Power Company, which received the Commercial Operation Date certificate from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand on Sept. 5. Nam Ngiep 1, on the Nam Ngiep River between Lao […]

VIENTIANE, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — Lao government officials have dismissed social media reports that the Xayaboury dam in northern Laos is slowing the flow of water to downstream sections of the Mekong River. The dam is built on the run-of-river model, which does not require water to be stored, local daily Vientiane Times on Monday […]

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Critics of the 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi hydropower dam in northern Laos fear recent upgrades to the controversial project won’t be enough to save the Mekong River from a critical tipping point when it starts churning out electricity at full throttle next month. After seven years of construction, it will be the first of […]

A major hydropower plant built in Laos has started commercial operation. With two power stations, the Nam Ngiep 1 plant generates about 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours of energy per year, Japanese utility Kansai Electric Power Co said on Friday. Nam Ngiep 1 Power Co, the operator of the plant, will supply electricity from the main station […]