Electricity production
Hydropower dams
'Agencies broke no laws over Mekong dam'
A Supreme Administrative Court judge rapporteur has suggested it will rule in favour of five state agencies accused of violating laws in their handling of the Xayaburi Dam project in Laos. The judge opinion was the case against them be dismissed, as the five state agencies in ...
Laos pins economic hopes on extra electricity
As Southeast Asia’s energy demands grow, Laos is banking on increased electricity exports to shore up its economy. The tiny country, which has a population of just under 7 million, has been opening a string of large-scale hydropower stations that will boost its total generation ...
Laos' northern 230 KV power grid put into operation
Laos’ northern 230 KV grid was put into operation on 29 November, a major boost to the country’s building of a unified high voltage grid. The project was constructed by China Southern Power Grid and it is one of the China-Laos cooperation projects within the Belt ...
Eppo eyes two Laos power plants
Thai policymakers plan to purchase an additional power from two hydroelectric plants in Laos with a combined capacity of 1,318 megawatts, according to the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo). They are the Nam Thuen 1 and Pak Beng hydropower project. Director-general Twarath Sutbutr said Eppo also ...
Kampot dam tries to restore image
In the wake of mass flooding, the company behind Cambodia’s first major hydropower dam used a government visit last week to distance itself from recent controversies and quell fears about the project’s alleged downsides. In September, Kampot province experienced widespread flooding that left thousands temporarily homeless ...
Next government warned to steer clear of the Myitsone
Kachin activists are promising a fierce fight over the future of the suspended Myitsone dam project, with one prominent spokesperson threatening a fight “to the death” if the incoming government allowed the project to go ahead. President U Thein Sein won plaudits for announcing the suspension ...
Lower Sesan 2 dam putting livelihoods and environment at risk
The giant Lower Sesan 2 dam is one of the most controversial construction projects in Cambodia. The electricity-generation potential of the Lower Sesan 2 is massive but, for the Mekong River’s aquatic life and nearby villagers, the price of such progress could be colossal. The mighty Mekong River ...
Mekong river dolphin faces added threat of Laos dam
Conservation experts and residents in Cambodia’s Kratie province say they are concerned for the wellbeing of the Mekong River dolphin, especially if a major hydropower project is built upstream. Laos says it intends to go forward with the Don Sahong Dam project, despite opposition from Cambodia ...
Mekong locals seek a voice on Don Sahong
More than 6,400 residents of Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia have signed and thumb-printed a statement on the Don Sahong Dam project, airing concerns ranging from the river’s diminishing fish stocks to the lack of transparency of the Mekong River Commission. The statement, presented last week at ...
Thousands sign petition against Mekong dam construction
Huynh Thi Kim Duyen said her community in Ca Mau Province has seen a significant decline in fish stocks and water levels in the Mekong River in the past decade. Duyen is among thousands of people in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand who have signed off on ...
