Sweden attends forum on Pak Beng Hydropower Project

Using the Mekong River as a source of sustainable energy was discussed as the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok participated in a regional stakeholder forum on Lao PDR’s Pak Beng Hydropower Project, held on Friday 5 May 2017 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The forum was arranged by the Mekong River Commission, MRC, who is responsible for facilitating the prior consultation for Lao PDR’s proposed project, and to assist its member countries with technical assessments of the project.

MRC is an inter-governmental organisation that works directly with the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam to jointly manage the shared water resources and the sustainable development of the Mekong River.

The Pak Beng hydropower project is proposed on the Mekong mainstream in the northern territory of Lao PDR. The run-of-river project with capacity of 912 MW and the average annual generation of 4,775 GWh is expected to produce power for domestic supply and export. The dam is located between the Jinghong hydropower project in China and the Xayaburi hydropower project in Laos.

Sweden financially supports Mekong River Commission, which also helps to strengthen the MRC’s engagement with stakeholders, such as civil society.

Source: Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok

Correction: Lao PDR is behind the hydropower project, not MRC as earlier written.

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