Laos Pushes Forward With Seventh Mekong River Dam Project

Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported this week that officials in Laos will soon take an important step forward on a new hydropower project, the seventh large-scale dam project to be undertaken on the mainstream of the Mekong River.

The report cited an unnamed government official as saying that the authorities were currently preparing the paperwork for the 728-megawatt Phou Ngoy dam, and aimed to submit a formal notification about the project to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) “at the end of this year.”

The $2.4 billion project is being developed by Thailand’s Charoen Energy and Water Asia (CEWA) and if approved, will be built by two South Korean construction companies: Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction. If approved, the project is slated to be completed in 2029.

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Sebastian Strangio