Mekong River projects conducted by collaboration of Laos and China

Last updated on May 7th, 2021 at 08:36 am

Laos in partnership with China has submitted plans to to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to build yet another new hydropower dam on the Mekong River. Construction is expected to start later this year, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Monday.

The Sanakham dam hydropower plant, with an estimated cost of US$2.073 billion, will be developed by Datang Sanakham Hydropower company, a subsidiary of China’s state owned Datang International Power Generation Co, MRC said. Hydropower development is central to the Laos government’s plan to export around 20,000 megawatts of electricity to its neighbours by 2030. This latest project will be the sixth proposal of nine planned mainstream Mekong dams inside Laos.

Laos has already completed two dams on the Mekong River. The 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi Dam and the 260-megawatt Don Sahong Dam last year. The dams were built despite objections by environmental groups worldwide. Objectors said the dams threaten a river system whose fisheries, sediment and seasonal flooding for agriculture support some 60 million people.

Sanakham’s proposed site is located 155 kilometres north of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Its projected to produce 684 megawatts of electricity once it start operating in 2028. The Sanakham dam is the sixth project that has been put forward to the prior consultation process with the MRC. The MRC intergovernmental agency that works with regional governments. China has funded numerous hydropower projects inside Laos, and it has built 11 dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong River inside Chinese territory that have come under scrutiny for allegedly altering the river’s natural flow.

The Sanakham project will now have to go through an MRC prior consultation process, which normally lasts for six months, where other MRC members including Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam can review the project and assess any cross-border impacts. While they can suggest changes, the MRC consultation process cannot veto any project.

Burapha

Sawadee-khrup. I am a multicultural Thai newswriter that is always on the lookout for daily news that are intriguing and unique in my native country Thailand.

Recent Posts

ICC adopts hybrid model for Champions Trophy 2025

The International Cricket Council has adopted a hybrid model for Champions Trophy 2025. On December 19, the ICC confirmed proposals…

December 23, 2024

Bangchak Reduces the Price of Premium Oil to 5 baht Ahead of Christmas & New Year

BCP (Bangchak Corporation Petroleum Public Company Limited) has announced a New Year gift to the users of BCP Premium oil…

December 23, 2024

Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024

The 2024 Vietnam International Defense Expo was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 19, 2024 and…

December 22, 2024

Shooting concludes: Stranger Things 5 to release on Netflix in 2025

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is one of the most popular sci-fi horror series globally. It is set…

December 21, 2024

China’s Hypersonic Expansion in Asia Raises Alarms for India

According to the US Department of Defense, China has now produced the most sophisticated supply of hypersonic weapons in the…

December 21, 2024

Melaka International Halal Festival 2024

The Melaka International Halal Festival 2024 aims to turn the city as the prime center of the Halal products and…

December 21, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More