Electricity generation in Laos is produced by one coal-fired power plant and several hydroelectric dams. 53% of power generated in 2016 came from renewable sources. The majority of power produced from the Hongsa plant is exported to Thailand. The Xayaburi run-of-river dam is expected to generate over 7,000 GWh of electricity per year, which will mainly be exported to Thailand as part of the development of an interconnected Southeast Asian energy market. [1]
Power Plant | Fuel | Capacity (MW) | Units | Year completed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hongsa | Lignite | 1878 | 3 x 626 MW | 2015 |
Table 1: Existing Lao hydropower stations (15 MW installed capacity and above). [2]
Notes: COD = Commercial Operating Date; MW = Megawatt; GWh = Gigawatt hours; m = metres; m3 = cubic metres; km2 = square kilometres.
Table 2: Hydropower dams under construction in Laos (15 MW installed capacity and above) [2]
Notes: COD = Commercial Operating Date; MW = Megawatt; GWh = Gigawatt hours; m = metres; m3 = cubic metres; km2 = square kilometres.
Dams and reservoirs in Laos are the cornerstone of the Lao government's goal of becoming the "battery of Asia".
The Nam Ngum Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Nam Ngum River, a major tributary of the Mekong River in Laos. It was the first hydropower dam built in the Lao PDR.
Energy in Thailand refers to the production, storage, import and export, and use of energy in the Southeast Asian nation of Thailand. Thailand's energy resources are modest and being depleted. The nation imports most of its oil and significant quantities of natural gas and coal. Its energy consumption has grown at an average rate of 3.3% from 2007 to 2017. Energy from renewables has only recently begun to contribute significant energy.
There are almost 200 large dams in Myanmar. Myanmar (Burma) has a large hydroelectric power potential of 39,000 megawatts (52,000,000 hp), although the economical exploitable potential is about 37,000 megawatts (50,000,000 hp). Between 1990 and 2002, the country tripled its installed capacity of hydro plants, increasing from 253 megawatts (339,000 hp) to 745 megawatts (999,000 hp). Total installed capacity in 2010 is at least 2,449 megawatts (3,284,000 hp) MW, 6% of potential. Several large dams are planned to increase future hydro utilization.
The estimated hydropower potential of Mekong River Basin about 58,930 Megawatts (MW). As of February 2024, there are an estimated 167 Hydropower Plants (HPPs) in the Mekong, with a combined installed capacity of some 36,376.3 MW. An additional 20 HPPs are currently under construction and at various stages of completion. These have a combined installed capacity of an additional 4,535.5 MW.
The Sirindhorn Dam is in Sirindhorn District, Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand. It impounds the Lam Dom Noi River, and its reservoir is the province's largest water resource. The dam was commissioned in 1971 to serve as a hydropower facility as well as to supply irrigation water. The dam was named after Princess Royal Sirindhorn. All of the electricity generated by the dam is destined for domestic markets. The dam was constructed and is owned and operated by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and is located in the Mekong River Basin, just upstream from the controversial Pak Mun Dam.
The Sambor Dam is a proposed dam and hydroelectric power station on the Mekong River south of Sambor village in Prek Kampi District, Kratie Province, Cambodia. If built, it would be the lowest dam of the Mekong's mainstream dams, and largest in Cambodia.
O Chum 2 Hydropower Dam is located on O Chum River, in Banlung, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. O Chum 2, commissioned in 1993, is a 1 MW mini-hydropower plant located in the north-east of Ratanakiri province. It is owned and operated by the Cambodian government and has an estimated annual generation output of between 2.2 and 2.5 GWh.
The Ubol Ratana Dam, formerly known as the "Phong Neeb Dam", is a multi-purpose dam in tambon Khok Sung, Ubolratana district, approximately 50 km (31 mi) north of Khon Kaen, Khon Kaen province, Thailand. It was the first hydroelectric power project developed in Thailand's northeastern area of Isan. The dam impounds the Nam Phong, which flows into the Chi River and thence to the Mun River, a tributary of the Mekong River. The dam was given its current name by royal permission in 1966, in honour of princess Ubol Ratana, the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The Xayaburi Dam is a run-of-river hydroelectric dam on the Lower Mekong River, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the town of Sainyabuli (Xayaburi) in northern Laos. Commercial operation of the dam started in October 2019. The main purpose of the dam is to produce hydroelectric power, 95% of which is to be purchased by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT). The project is surrounded in controversy due to complaints from downstream riparians and environmentalists. Preliminary construction began in early-2012, but work on the dam itself was suspended shortly thereafter due to complaints from Cambodia and Vietnam downstream. After making modifications to the dam's design, Laos started construction with a ceremony on 7 November 2012. The Xayaburi Dam is the first of the 11 dams planned on the lower Mekong.
The Vianden Pumped Storage Plant is located just north of Vianden in Diekirch District, Luxembourg. The power plant uses the pumped-storage hydroelectric method to generate electricity and serves as a peaking power plant. Its lower reservoir is located on the Our River, bordering Germany, and the upper is elevated above on the nearby Saint Nicholas Mountain. Construction on the plant began in 1959 and the first pump-generators were commissioned in 1962. A tenth pump-generator was installed in 1976 bringing the plant's installed generating capacity to 1,096 megawatts (1,470,000 hp). The plant generates an average of 1,650 gigawatt-hours (5,900 TJ) annually but of course consumes even more. Generally the efficiency of this energy storage method is around 70–80%. The plant is owned by Société électrique de l'Our and RWE. Construction on an eleventh pump-generator began in 2010 and it is expected to be commissioned in 2013, which will bring the plant's installed capacity to 1,296 megawatts (1,738,000 hp).
The Houay Ho is a dam located in Samakkhixay District of Attapeu Province, Laos, 160 km (99 mi) east of Pakse and 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Attapeu. The project is considered the first privately financed joint venture 'build-operate-transfer' (BOT) hydropower project in Laos. It has installed capacity of 152.1 megawatts (204,000 hp), almost all of which is exported to Thailand.
This page describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Laos.
The Trung Sơn Dam is a hydroelectric power station on the Ma River in northwestern Vietnam. Located in the Trung Sơn commune, Quan Hóa District, Thanh Hóa Province, it is approximately 95 kilometres (59 mi) southwest of Hòa Bình city, and 195 kilometres (121 mi) northwest of Thanh Hóa city. The dam created a reservoir which covers a large area of the Mường Lát and Quan Hóa Districts in the Thanh Hoa province as well as part of the Mộc Châu District in Sơn La Province. It is approximately 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) from the Vietnam–Laos border. The 260 MW associated power plant became fully operational in September 2017.
The Upper North Fork Feather River Project is a hydroelectric scheme in the Sierra Nevada of California, within Lassen and Plumas Counties. The project consists of three dams, five power plants, and multiple conduits and tunnels in the headwaters of the North Fork Feather River, a major tributary of the Feather—Sacramento River systems. The total installed capacity is 362.3 megawatts (MW), producing an annual average of 1,171.9 gigawatt hours (GWh). The project is also contracted for the delivery of irrigation water between March 31 and October 31 of each year. The project is owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Jabban (Malakand-I) Hydropower Plant (MHPP-I) is a small, low-head, run-of-the-river hydroelectric power generation station having 22 megawatt generation capacity located at the Jabban area of the Malakand District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is situated on the Swat River. It is about 210 km from Pakistan's capital Islamabad, 45 km from the city of Mardan and 7 km upstream of 20 MW Dargai Hydropower Plant (Malakand-II). It is a small hydel power generating plant constructed and put in commercial operation in July, 1938, generating an average annual yield of 122 million units (GWh) of least expensive electricity.
Dargai (Malakand-II) Hydropower Plant (MHPP-II) is a small, low-head, run-of-the-river hydroelectric power generation station having about 20 megawatt generation capacity. It is located at the region of Dargai, Malakand within the province of Khyber Pajhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is functions on the flow of the Swat River. It is about 210 km far from Pakistan's capital Islamabad and 45 km from the city of Mardan. It is a small hydel power generating plant constructed and put in commercial operation in December, 1952, generating an average annual yield of 162 million units (GWh) of much needed least expensive electricity.
Thailand has set targets and policies for the development of its energy sector for 2035, with priority being given to indigenous renewable energy resources, including hydropower.
The Vorotan Cascade, or the ContourGlobal Hydro Cascade, is a cascade on the Vorotan River in Syunik Province, Armenia. It was built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water. The Vorotan Cascade consists of three hydroelectric power plants and five reservoirs with a combined installed capacity of 404.2 MW. It is one of the main power generation complexes in Armenia.
The Mavrovo Hydropower System is a collection of three hydroelectric power plants in North Macedonia. It plays a crucial role in electricity generation within the region. The system includes Vrutok HPP, Rаven HPP, and Vrben HPP. The largest capacity is in the hydropower plant "Vrutok" with four generators. Several kilometers downstream towards Gostivar is the second power plant, "Raven," with three generators. The final power plant in the system is located in the village of Vrben and operates with two generators.