Laos to seek consultation for 684MW Sanakham hydro project

Construction is expected to finish by 2028.

Laos will undertake the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC) prior consultation process for its 684MW Sanakham hydropower project, according to a press release. This is the sixth proposed project on the Mekong mainstream.

In its notification submitted to the MRC Secretariat, the Lao government provided a set of engineering documents and a technical feasibility study, including the project’s social and environmental impact assessments and sediment and fisheries study. These will be shared with the other MRC member countries, namely Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The project’s construction is expected to begin in 2020, with completion and early commercial operations projected on or by 2028. The energy generated by the project will mainly be exported to Thailand.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.073b. Of these, about $27.7m is allocated for environmental and social mitigation measures and monitoring programmes.

Located between the Xayaburi and Vientiane provinces in Laos, the project is about 2 km upstream of the Thai-Lao border in Loei province and approximately 1,737 km from the sea. The powerhouse is about 350 m long and 58 m high, with 12 turbines, each producing 57MW.