Nam Ou River hydropower project in Laos starts second phase operation

• 4 years ago (2019-12-26)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Hydropower 131

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The first power generation unit of the second phase of the Nam Ou River Cascade Hydropower Project started operation on 26 December. The project is located in Luang Prabang, some 220km north of Vientiane, capital of Laos.

The project is being developed in two phases, with a total installed capacity of 1272MW and an average annual generation of about 5GWh. When completed, it will be able to generate 12 per cent of the electricity supply in Laos.

The Nam Ou River hydropower project has been developed by Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) under the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. It is the first Chinese company-run project to win the development rights of a whole river basin in the country.