WLE Mekong
  • About Us
    • About us
      • Our objectives
      • Our team
      • Contact us
    • Our partners
        • Cambodian Partners
        • Chinese Partners
        • International Partners
        • Lao Partners
        • Myanmar Partners
        • Thai Partners
        • Vietnamese Partners
    • Close
  • Changes
    • Where We Work
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
      • View all projects
    • Our Work
      • Benefit-sharing
      • Catchments & Landuse
      • Gender & Diversity
      • Research for Development
      • River Food Systems
      • River Monitoring
      • Water Governance
      • Capacity Building & Professional Development
    • Our Research
      • Greater Mekong Dams Observatory
      • State of Knowledge Series
      • Water Knowledge Series
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
    • Close
  • Dialogue
    • Stories
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
      • Mekong Citizen
    • Greater Mekong Fora
      • 2018 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2017 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2016 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2015 Greater Mekong Forum
    • Close

Mekong Blog

  • Mekong River Basin

Xayaboury villagers relocate to make way for 1,878MW power plant

  • Stories
  • Greater Mekong Forums
  • Mekong Citizen

Xayaboury villagers relocate to make way for 1,878MW power plant

cpwf.mekongOctober 14, 2012Uncategorized, Vientiane Times

Vientiane Times, October 13, 2012

About 2,000 people in 421 families in Hongsa district, Xayaboury province, moved out of their homes recently to make way for the construction of a 1,878MW lignite-fired power plant.

After leaving their homes, 402 of the families are now living in new houses specially built by local construction companies and funded by the project developer, Hongsa Power Company Limited, at a cost of more than US$20 million.

The new houses have been built in Homsavang and Homxay villages near to Thaenkham village, 8km from the main town in Hongsa district. The other families are living with their parents or other relatives nearby.

Head of the Hongsa Lignite Fired Power Project’s Resettlement Livelihood Management Unit, Mr Sommy Xayalath, told *Vientiane Times * yesterday that the families had formerly lived in Meuanghan, Nachan, Champa, Namaiyom, Nanongkham and Naxaikham villages.

The new community of 450 houses is 12km from the power plant site.

The new development consists of 243 one-bedroom houses, 156 two-bedroom houses, and 51 three-bedroom houses.

Hongsa Power Company Limited has also financed the construction of asphalt roads, schools, water supply, a market and other facilities, as well as the installation of electricity.

A hospital is also being built and will soon be complete, according to a report from the Hongsa Lignite Fired Power Project.

Mr Sommy said each person will also receive 25kg of sticky rice, 0.8kg of beef and eight eggs every month for the first three years after relocating.

The project is also paying everyone’s water and electricity bills for the first month after their relocation.

Mr Sommy noted that the project has also provided two hectares of farmland for each family. Helped by project staff, families are planting rubber trees on one hectare and will grow other crops on the remaining land.

The villagers will also be given training in farming methods, livestock raising, and massage skills.

Mr Sommy said that next year the project plans to install more facilities and will work with the provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department’s
Irrigation Section staff to build an irrigation system.

“Providing rubber saplings and setting up a village revolving fund is also part of the plan,” Mr Sommy said.

The project is a joint venture worth about US$4 billion between the Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company and Banpu Power Limited of Thailand, and Lao Holding State Enterprise.

Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding owns a 40 percent share in the project, while Banpu also has a 40 percent stake and the Lao Holding State Enterprise holds a 20 percent share.

The plant is scheduled to commence commercial operations in 2015. Most of the electricity generated will be exported to Thailand, Mr Sommy said.

The development is a massive project that involves constructing a lignite mining and electricity generation facility on a 60 square kilometre site,
more than 300km northwest of Vientiane.

The concession period starts on the project execution date and ends 25 years after the start of commercial operations.

Previous
Story
Next
Story

Related Stories

  • mekong
    May 15, 2014
    Nam Ngiep 1 construction commences August
  • mekong
    March 10, 2015
    Laos Faces Pressure to Stall Decision on Lower Mekong River Dam
  • mekong
    August 25, 2013
    Diplomat supports sustainable development of Xayaboury dam
  • mekong
    February 1, 2015
    Thailand Slips Into Deflation on Falling Energy Prices
  • irrawaddy mekong red
    August 24, 2012
    River Basin Games
    Research for Development | Water Governance
  • mekong
    December 15, 2013
    Govt revokes agreement with Russian company on dam development
    Water Governance
  • mekong
    March 5, 2014
    Chinese company to develop hydropower in Xaysomboun
  • mekong
    March 21, 2014
    Tonle Sap Lake fisheries a concern for dam project
  • mekong
    September 16, 2014
    Cambodia's River Coalition in Cambodia calls upon government to protect the Mekong River
  • mekong
    February 8, 2014
    Construction on Xekong 5 project set to commence
  • mekong
    February 20, 2013
    Study sets Xayaboury irrigation scheme back on track
  • mekong
    September 20, 2013
    Surveys begin on Borikhamxay dams
  • mekong
    May 2, 2013
    JICA begins survey for Champassak dam
  • mekong
    August 30, 2013
    PM's Xayaboury visit puts spotlight on reforestation
  • mekong
    March 28, 2013
    World Water Day a Week Long in Laos
  • mekong
    May 16, 2014
    Interview with Dr. Kim Geheb - WLE GMS Focal Region Coordinator
  • mekong red
    February 24, 2015
    WLE Mekong Project Introductions
  • mekong
    February 7, 2014
    Project Holds Final Workshop on Improving Hydropower-Decision Making in Laos
  • mekong
    August 24, 2013
    Sustainable fisheries management required for food security
    River Food Systems
  • mekong
    January 6, 2014
    Policy for sustainable hydropower development being revised
    Water Governance

The sustainable development of the Greater Mekong depends on the fair and equitable governance of its water.

ABOUT WLE

  • Our objectives
  • Our team
  • Our partners
  • Terms of use
  • Newsletters
  • Contact us

CO-SUPPORTED BY

WLE Greater Mekong is funded in part by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Water, Land & Ecosystems Mekong - footer logos
© All rights reserved - WLE CGIAR
Subscribe to our newsletter SIGN UP
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy