Electricity infrastructure
Generation and distribution facilities
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 ...
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 dams will wipe out fisheries, study says
Preliminary findings from a soon-to-be released report have reinforced dismal projections for the future of Cambodia’s fisheries if 11 planned mainstream hydropower dams are built on the Mekong River. Presented on 21 October at the Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy in Phnom Penh, the ...
NGOs push for postponement of Don Sahong dam on Mekong
The lower three Mekong Countries, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam as well as environmental groups, have expressed concern about the Don Sahong dam’s impact on the environment, movement of fish and water quality and flow. The project has yet to be approved by the Mekong River Commission, ...
Lao officials to inform neighboring countries about dam construction schedule
A delegation of Lao officials will visit two neighboring countries to inform them about the commencement of construction work on a controversial 260-megawatt hydropower dam on the Mekong River, a Lao official with knowledge of the issue said on 14 October. Three lower Mekong countries – ...
Villagers displaced by Xayaboury dam enjoy higher incomes
Villagers who had to leave their homes to make way for the Xayaboury hydropower plant project are now earning more money, thanks to income-generating activities and employment opportunities offered by the project. For instance, one indicator shows that the annual average income per family in Nator ...
CPI Yunnan calculates cost of Myitsone Dam
CPI Yunnan International Power Investment Company has recalculated its spending on the suspended Myitsone hydropower project, and is waiting for the Myanmar government to approve the figure. CPIYN is the majority shareholder in Upstream Ayeyarwady Confluence Basin Hydropower Company, the dam’s developer. The calculation was made in ...
IFC to lead sustainable hydro in Myanmar
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signed to advise the government on environmental and social risk management for hydropower projects nationwide. This is the first time anything like this will be done in Myanmar. Commentators say they hope it will serve as the basis for transparent ...
Don Sahong project to begin construction in November
The 260-MW Don Sahong hydroelectric project is anticipated to begin construction before the end of this year after a number of agreements related to the project have been signed to guide the project’s go ahead. The Lao Ministry of Energy and Mine’s Policy and Planning Department ...
Parliament approves more than $300m in soft loans
The Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on 26 August gave the green light to US$305 million in new development loans focused on improving electricity supply, water supply and a major highway. MPs approved a $240 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, $20 million from the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund ...
