Construction of Laos' Nam Ou 2 dam may start soon

A national consultation workshop on the environmental and social impact assessments of the Nam Ou 2 dam in Luang Prabang province was held in Vientiane last week.

Attended by government representatives, provincial authorities and members of the public whose lives are likely to be impacted by the project, the consultation opened possibilites for its cosntruction next year.

The dam is planned at a location 53km from the mouth of the Nam Ou river, spanning the two districts of Ngoy and Nambak and measuring 49m in height and 300m in length.

The proposed plant would have a capacity of 120MW and would be able to produce 546 KWh of electricity per year. The site will span 16 square km with construction costs estimated at US$15.6 million, according to a government report.

The government has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with Sinohydro Corporation to study the possibility of seven dams on the Nam Ou river. The project has commissioned Earth Systems Lao to carry out a feasibility study and make environmental and social impact assessments.