Hydropower

Cambodia looks to hydropower, but…

Along with most Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia’s electricity consumption over the past decade has skyrocketed. In a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), electricity consumption in Cambodia has been growing rapidly, averaging 20 percent growth per annum since 2010.

17 December 2019
0

Does Lao’s Xayaburi dam benefit its people?

The newly-built Xayaburi dam has raised some key concerns about Lao PDR’s hydropower strategy.While hydropower is one of the country’s main exports, Lao PDR still has to import electricity.

31 October 2019
0

Damming the Mekong to environmental hell

Major dam construction projects have become a favourite pastime of some autocratic governments, with China leading the way. But, far from protecting against water shortages, as supporters promise, large dams are contributing to river depletion and severely exacerbating parched conditions.

4 August 2019
0

Lao dam collapse survivors homeless a year on

Thousands are languishing in displacement camps in Lao a year after a dam break unleashed floodwaters and killed dozens of people in the impoverished state, a new report on the anniversary of the disaster said Tuesday.For the past decade, Lao has been on a dam-building spree to serve as the "battery of Asia", but experts have long warned about environmental dangers and the breakneck construction pace.An auxiliary dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydroelectric project in southern Lao col

24 July 2019
0

Myanmar and Lao to get infrastructure boost

Myanmar and Lao PDR look to be the biggest winners of an ASEAN plan to boost connectivity with a series of infrastructure projects.The regional bloc unveiled a list of 19 projects in the Initial Rolling Priority Pipeline of Potential ASEAN Infrastructure Projects (Initial Pipeline) on Monday, one of the initiatives under the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.The 19 projects in seven countries cover transport, energy, and information and communication technology, sectors which will contri

14 June 2019
0

Giving A Dam About The Mekong

Originating in the Tibetan highlands and running through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the Mekong and its tributaries provide water, food and income for 60 million people. The longest river in Southeast Asia is home to the world’s largest inland fishery. It is estimated that 25 percent of the global freshwater catch is harvested from this river.Damming of the Mekong started in China in the early 1990s.

3 May 2019
0

Myanmar has an energy problem

Ever since Myanmar undertook a series of political, economic and administrative reforms in 2011, the country’s economy has steadily improved. According to data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Myanmar is enjoying some of the highest growth rates in the region.

30 April 2019
0

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation: Blessing or curse?

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) marked its third anniversary last week with the announcement that China’s trade with the five Mekong member countries – Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – has reached over US$260 billion for the period, highlighting the overarching role China plays in these five countries’ economies.A sub-regional cooperation mechanism connecting the six countries along the Mekong river, which is known as Lancang in China, the LMC was formed in March 2016 and h

3 April 2019
0

The potential of floating solar power

Thailand is the latest country in Southeast Asia to recognise the untapped potential of floating solar technology after the state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) announced five pilot projects last month.The country’s masterplan includes the installation of floating solar panels in eight hydropower plants nationwide with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) over the next two decades.

12 February 2019
0

Are Cambodia’s hydropower plans risky?

Along with most Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia’s electricity consumption over the past decade has skyrocketed. In a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), electricity consumption in Cambodia has been growing rapidly, averaging 20 percent growth per annum since 2010. This rate continues to accelerate as average incomes in the nation rise on the whole.Despite the growing consumption of electricity, Cambodia is one of the few countries in the region that has low access to electricity.

5 February 2019
0

Electrifying Myanmar

Since sanctions by the United States (US) and European Union (EU) were lifted, Myanmar has enjoyed relatively strong economic growth. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Myanmar’s economy has grown at an average of 7.5 percent between 2012 and 2017.

4 January 2019
0