Energy
Energy policy and administration
'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 ...
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 ...
The night the lights went out
Underscoring Cambodia’s heavy dependence on imported electricity, the lights went out not just in Phnom Penh but across provinces nationwide on Thursday, an unprecedented blackout that Prime Minister Hun Sen said was caused by an electrical fault in neighbouring Vietnam. Between about 10pm and 11pm, Phnom ...
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 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 ...
Cambodia’s energy policy out of balance: WEC
Expensive and unreliable electricity continues to weigh down Cambodia’s ranking on the UN-accredited World Energy Council’s annual Energy Trilemma Index, according to a report released on 11 November. The Kingdom ranked a low 115 out of 130 countries on the annual index, which assesses countries according ...
