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Chinese firm seeks approval for hydro project on Mekong
Vientiane Times, 13 December 2007
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.
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