Last Cascade Power Plant over Nam Ou River in Laos Starts Trial Operation

The Nam Ou River Cascade Hydropower Project's seventh plant in Laos started a 72-hour trial operation period on Sept 15, bringing the last of the basin's power plants into service.

A bird's eye view of the seventh power plant of the Nam Ou River Cascade Hydropower Project in Laos [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

Located in Phongsali Province, the seventh power plant has two 105-megawatt generator units. With a total reservoir capacity of 17.7 by 108 cubic meters, making it the largest of the seven plants over the river, the seventh cascade plant was more difficult and expensive to build than other six plants.

The Nam Ou River Cascade Hydropower Project is contracted by Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) and is the first overseas project created through the company's full industrial chain strategy.

Originating on the border of Southwest China's Yunnan Province and Lao's Phongsali, the Nam Ou River stretches 475 kilometers from south to north, making it the largest branch of the Mekong River's left bank in northern Laos and one of the most important energy bases in the country.

The cascade power plant project has a total installed capacity of 1.27 million kilowatts and is expected to promote power grid upgrades and transmission line connections in Laos, which will provide stable and high-quality power for power export, regional power integration, economic and social development in Laos and the construction and operation of the China-Laos Railway.

The project will set an example for high-level standards, guidelines and outstanding practices in hydropower development.

So far, the project has generated more than 7.5 billion kilowatt-hours of power.

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)