Nam Theun 1 dam begins reservoir impounding to generate electricity

Construction of the Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project is now 85 percent complete and will start the commercial operation date in generating electricity for sale to EGAT Thailand and EDL Lao in May 2022.
Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited held a reservoir impounding ceremony at the dam in Borikhamxay province on April 1.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment, Dr Sonexay Siphandone, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Theun 1 Power Company, Mr

High-ranking officials take part in the reservoir impounding opening ceremony of the Nam Theun 1 hydropower dam.

Phonesack Vilaysack, and Executive Committee Chairman of Nam Theun 1 Power Company, Mr Preechar Kanthamoon, attended the ceremony along with senior officials from line ministries and the Governor of Borikhamxay province.
Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project is located on the Nam Kading river in Pakkading district, Borikhamxay province, and is the first dam to be built by the Phonesack Group Company Limited.
Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited was granted a concession by the Lao government in 2016 to build and operate the Nam Theun 1 hydroelectric dam over a period of 27 years.
The main structure of the dam is 177 metre high and 771 metre wide with a curved gravity roller-compacted concrete dam and a reservoir surface that covers 9,360 hectares and can hold the water about 3,000 million cubic metres.
“The dam has a total installed capacity of 650MW and will be able to generate 2,562 GWh of electricity per year, of which 520MW will be sold to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and 130MW will be sold to the Électricité du Laos (EDL),” Mr Preechar said.
Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited signed the Power Purchase Agreements with EGAT and EDL in 2017.
“The dam is now about 85 percent complete after construction began in 2016 and is set to start generating electricity for sale in May 2022,” Mr Preechar said.
Currently the project has completed the relocation of local residents by Phonesack Group Company, reservoir clearing, and reservoir impounding as approved by the Energy Management Department of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
“Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project is now ready to impound water for generator testing and the generation of electricity in the near future,” Mr Preechar added.
Nam Theun 1 Hydropower Project is 70 percent financed by four Thai syndicated banks namely Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited, Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited, TISCO Bank Public Company Limited and Export-Import Bank of Thailand, and 30 percent by the project shareholders.
Nam Theun 1 Power Company Limited is committed to a vision of national development that is environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. The project shareholders are the Phonesack Group Company (PSG), Electricity Generating Public Company Limited (EGCO) and EDL-Generation Public Company (EDL-GEN).

By Advertorial Desk
(Latest Update April 06, 2021)