Laos seeks to quell Thai fears over Mekong dams
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Laos has held talks with downstream countries Thailand and Vietnam to inform them about progress on the US$3.5-billion (Bt109 billion) Xayaburi Dam project and the proposed Don Sahong dam in Champassak province, both on the Mekong River.
A Lao delegation led by Viraphonh Viravong held talks with Vietnamese counterparts during the 31st Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Bali last week.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Viraphonh Viravong, told the Vientiane Times that Laos had done a number of studies and put measures in place to address the concerns of its neighbours.
“During the bilateral talks, we reported on the progress made in the construction of the Xayaburi hydropower project and informed our counterparts about how Laos redesigned the project to address the concerns of the Mekong River Commission member countries,” he said. “We also informed our two neighbours that we want to build the Don Sahong hydropower project, after studying it for a number of years. We appointed a third party to inspect the site and found that the project will have no impact on the river downstream.
“We have studied the project scientifically, so we want our neighbours to understand and support the development.”
The Xayaburi Dam, featuring a 1,285megawatt power plant, is the first hydropower project to be built in the lower Mekong basin.
Xayaburi Power Company, responsible for its development, reports that more than $500 million has been spent on the project so far, or about 17 per cent of the total project cost.
The government says the dam will play a significant role in driving economic growth in Laos and will also contribute to community development and poverty reduction in Xayaburi province.
