Chinese firm seeks approval for hydro project on Mekong
A Chinese company is considering building a hydropower plant on the Mekong River some 250 kms north of Vientiane and is conducting a feasibility study to determine the project's viability.
The Hong Kong-based Da Tang International Power Generation Co Ltd has received the green light from the government to conduct the feasibility study for the installation of a large-capacity hydropower plant on the Mekong River in Xanakham district, Vientiane province, according to a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Company President, Mr Zhou Gang, and the Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Mr Thongmy Phommixay.
The MoU signing ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane, witnessed by a number of Chinese guests and high-ranking government officials.
The Chinese company will spend 30 months conducting the survey before submitting the results to the government for consideration and approval.
Mr Zhou Gang said he was happy the company had been given permission by the Lao government to conduct the feasibility study and pointed out that the firm had had a lot of experience in this field.
He also said the company had received good cooperation from the Lao government, which reflected the good relationship between Laos and China. The two countries shared mountains, rivers and a border, and he was happy that the company had been given the opportunity to contribute to the development of the Lao economy.
An official from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, who declined to be named, said that this was just the first step in the acceptance process. The government would set up a committee to investigate the study to see whether the power plant would have any social or environmental impacts, how much land would need to be flooded and how many residents would need to be resettled.
“If the company can prove that such a power plant will have positive rather than negative impacts, the government will approve the project and allow the construction to proceed,” he said.
He said the plant would have a capacity of more than 1,000 megawatts due to the strong downstream current, and the investors should consider it to be highly profitable.
He said the company would ensure there would be no upstream flooding of the Mekong, and that boats would still be able to navigate the river in both directions.
If approved, this would be the second approval granted to the Da Tang International Power Generation Co Ltd for a feasibility study; the first was given two months ago for a study on a section of the Mekong near Paklai district, Xayaboury province.
Feasibility study will be conducted by Chinese. So, I am 101% sure that the outcome of the feasibility study will always be positive. Feasibility study is just papers to to keep on the bookshelf. No one want to loose a lot of money to the feasibility study and get nothing back.
If the feasibility shows positive to both environmentally and socially friendly, the project will be developed and would definitely be usefully for Laos economy and Lao people as a whole.
Positive means there would be no upstream flooding of the Mekong, and that boats would still be able to navigate the river in both directions.
How would they be able to make everything so friendly? I hardly imagine the case. Although I have no idea about that, I guess they should be the good designers and have lots of experiences. For sure, there would be no dam across the Mekong river, I supposed.
Probably there is a place where the tunnel can be built from the bank of Mekong river (kind of small mountain). And through the tunnel the water from Mekong river would fall into turbine whereby the electricity can be generated. The water running out from turbine also can be use for irrigation. That would be useful for all farmers living near by power plant, no one would doubt. People would only smile for the move.
It would be a great idea if that that is a case. There would be no upstream flooding of the Mekong, and boats would still be able to navigate the river in both directions, no doubt.
If that is a case, I would only praise the move.You are clever, but not crazy as someone said earlier.
But the feasability study should be done by an independant organisation.... if the study is made by the company who want to build the dam, you can be sure that they won't take care about social and environmental aspects of the project...; for those people feasability just mean technical possibility to build the dam and financial benefit potential because their goal is just to make money, not benefits for lao people... for sure the environmental and social chapter of their study will be a big LIE!
Please build all the dam you can build on the Mekong. Please cut down all the tree, dig up all the minerals, and lease all the land to grow rubber tree so Laos can be rich like its neighbors. It is just impermanence things. When we all die we can't take it with us. So, let just give it all up for money so we can go buy materials things to enjoy our life while we still alive.
I don't want Laos be listed under "one of the poorest country in SEA" any longer . :(
Buddha bless Laos.
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"Because I criticized Laos government and it policies, it does not mean I want Laos to remain poor nor do I think Lao people are lazy or uneducated."
Please build all the dam you can build on the Mekong. Please cut down all the tree, dig up all the minerals, and lease all the land to grow rubber tree so Laos can be rich like its neighbors. It is just impermanence things. When we all die we can't take it with us. So, let just give it all up for money so we can go buy materials things to enjoy our life while we still alive.
I don't want Laos be listed under "one of the poorest country in SEA" any longer . :(
Buddha bless Laos.
Thank you very much Mr. Saffron for your blessing. Our people are really poor, you are right. Last time most of Lao people lived with a dream in hoping one day they can be rich, if they could not let their kids be, if their kids could not let their grand kids be. That meant we Lao people can live with satisfactory just because we live with a sweet dream. Some even think that if we cannot be rich in this life, maybe next life they probably can succeed the dream.
However, if we do nothing how would we become the rich? Sitting and waiting for that opportunity is not good way to do, no doubt as you always say. The best way that Lao government can do is to use what we have in our country to develop our economy with sustainable idea, and the best way for Lao government can do is to give all oportunities to Lao people in these their lives, but not next life. That would be too long for them.
However, Mr. Saffron, judging on your comment, you seem to me like you are angry with your wife or your kids. It is a kind of that you have nothing to say to them any more. You are tired of talking with them. But if you really understood like you said, I really appreciate it. If Laos is rich country, has lots of opportunities for its people, we Lao people would not want to live in other countries, I supposed.
I know every Lao person wants Laos to be the best. As you know Laos has no room much to develop itself. Unlike the powerful countries, Laos cannot go to other countries and take natural resourses to develop Laos instead of using what we have in Laos.
Yes, we need to use what we have in Laos, but use it wisely and sustainably.
I am no longer angry. I am over it. No matter what people outside Laos telling people inside Laos of the negative impact on their policies, nothing going change thier viewpoint.
The LPRP already say what they are going to do and they will do it. Procedures like conducting a survey or study, is just formality.
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"Because I criticized Laos government and it policies, it does not mean I want Laos to remain poor nor do I think Lao people are lazy or uneducated."
