Work on Nam Neun 1, 3 hydro schemes to begin early 2016
Work on Nam Neun 1, 3 hydro schemes to begin early 2016
Construction of the Nam Neun 1 and 3 hydropower projects is scheduled to start in early 2016 and is slated for completion by early 2020, at an estimated cost of over US$400 million, according to the project developer.
The Lao government signed the project development agreements with Indochina Consulting Company (ICC), a private project developer, in Vientiane on Tuesday at the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Khamlien Pholsena, ICC Chairman Mr Cheng Guogen and company vice chairpersons, together with senior officials from the departments of Planning and Investment from Huaphan and Xieng Khuang provinces, also signed project development agreements.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Cheng Guogen said his company was ready to work on construction of the two hydropower plants and promised to strictly follow the government's guidelines and policies.
“We are set to do our best in carrying out the projects and our company is well equipped with sufficient budget, advanced technologies and experienced technicians,” he said.
The Nam Neun 1 plant will be built in Xieng Khuang province and will have an installed capacity of 124 MW with a production capacity of 575 GWh per year.
The plant's concrete dam will be 520 metres in length and 133 metres high. The total water catchment area will be 3,764 square kilometres and the reservoir will be 17 square kilometres.
The electricity generated will be carried via a 115kV transmission line 51 km in length from a substation in Kham district.
The Nam Neun 3 plant will be built in Huaphan province and will have an installed capacity of 60 MW and a production capacity of 250 GWh per year. The water catchment area will be 1,400 square kilometres while the reservoir will be 12 square kilometres.
The dam will be 340 metres long and 110 metres high. The transmission grid will carry 115 kV over 5 km from the Khokhin substation.
Altogether the two plants will have a total installed capacity of 124 MW and a generation capacity of 825 GWh per year.
Electricity is fast becoming a major foreign exchange earner for Laos, with a number of hydropower plants starting commercial operation and more set to come on line soon .
Under the government's plan, 90 percent of Lao households will have access to electricity by 2020.
The construction of hydropower plants will enable various government policies to reach their target while also contributing to social and economic development.
vientiane times
