Category: Laos

Why is Laos building Mekong dams it doesn’t need? Thailand’s electricity demand has dropped, but this hasn’t stopped the construction of hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River in neighboring Laos. Thailand’s economic slump during the coronavirus pandemic led to a drop in electricity demand, with officials estimating power reserves currently at 50% over total capacity. […]

Construction begins on Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge linking Laos and Thailand across the Mekong river Work on a fifth bridge linking Laos and Thailand across the Mekong River has begun after a construction agreement was signed in December. The bridge, which will take 36 months to build, will connect Bolikhamxay province in Laos to Thailand’s north-eastern […]

Laos’ capital plans 30 large-scale development projects from 2021 to 2025 Vientiane authorities have pledged to carry out 30 large-scale development projects from now until 2025 in a bid to accelerate the Lao capital’s economic growth. Most of these projects will be carried out through public-private partnerships under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model as the government […]

Huawei helps build 1st smart expressway in Laos, 110 km Vientiane-Vangvieng Expressway The Vientiane–Vangvieng Expressway, the country’s first expressway, jointly developed by Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group (YCIH) and the Lao government and officially opened on Sunday, is also Laos’ first smart expressway with Huawei technology, said the Chinese tech giant. Huawei cooperating with […]

China-backed refinery starts operations in Laos Laos has started operations at its first-ever refinery, a small 20,000 b/d plant majority-owned by Chinese investors. Operator Lao Petroleum and Chemical (Laopec) plans to add another 40,000 b/d of capacity at the Vientiane refinery in another two phases, with a total estimated investment of around $2bn. Laopec is […]

Doosan Heavy to build 728-megawatt hydropower plant on Mekong river in Laos Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., South Korea’s top power equipment maker, said Monday that it has signed a deal with Korea Western Power Co. to build a hydropower plant in Laos. Doosan Heavy Industries will complete the construction of the 728-megawatt hydropower […]

Nail in coffin for Sanakham Dam on the Mekong River in Laos? SEE ALSO: Thai Government Warns Laos Over Its Sanakham Dam Plan Close To Loei’s Chiang Kan District The Thai government’s new stance against the Sanakham Dam on the Mekong River in Laos may be a nail in the coffin of this hydro-powered project […]

Thai Government warns Laos over its Sanakham dam plan close to Loei’s Chiang Kan district The government threatened on Tuesday not to buy electricity from Sanakham dam in Laos after it learned the project might affect the Mekong River. “The country’s territory is our paramount concern,” Somkiat Prajamwong, secretary-general to the Office of National Water […]