Thailand Backs 3.5 Billion Dollar Mekong River Dam Project

[webfact]

Thailand backs 3.5 billion dollar Mekong River dam project

VIENTIANE: -- Thailand on Tuesday threw its support behind a controversial hydropower dam on the lower Mekong River which neighbours, environmentalists and Thai communities have opposed.

"The Thai government is not opposed to the project," said Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichachaikul, speaking at the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the capital of Laos.

"The Lao government has already conducted studies that show there would be no impact on the environment and fisheries," Surapong said.

Laos will hold a ceremony Wednesday in Xayaburi to mark the start of riverbed construction on the 3.5-billion-dollar project.

The date was chosen to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, still a significant date in communist Laos which used to be a member of the Soviet bloc, government sources said.

-- The Nation 2012-11-06

[Nickymaster]

Those billion dollar projects create many "opportunities". Of course the Thaksin clan will support those projects.

[Pimay1]

Yingluck to protesters:

Here's five Baht. Call someone who gives a shit. My brother has already told me to support this project.

[RickBradford]

"The Lao government has already conducted studies that show there would be no impact on the environment and fisheries," Surapong said

US$3.5 billion, 1,260 megawatt dam project and no impact on the environment?

That suggests one of 4 things:

1) Surapong is a complete idiot

2) He is a brazen liar

3) The Lao government study was done in longhand on the back of a romance comic by a secretary.

4) All of the above

[noob7]

"The Thai government is not opposed to the project," said Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichachaikul,"

Who are the owners of the Thai constructor, building this project? (Ch. Karnchang Public Company Limited)

Perhaps that would explain, why some Thai people are against it, but the government isn't!

Edited November 6, 2012 by noob7

[RubbaJohnny]

Viet will hate it and impact on their cuisine.shrimps etc they still have some pull in commy Lao though beng rapidly drowned out under the Dragon.I fear local villagers ,flora,fauna and responsible eco management are low on the profit menu.

Despite its lovely traditions and people Lao is no different in the quality of its leaders.

Bhodidharma seems to have little to do with Commy crony nepotism,

Perhaps the energy crisi will reveal we have reached Peak-Karma and a merit crisis is imminent.

Edited November 6, 2012 by RubbaJohnny

[metisdead]

A post containing a deliberate misspelling of a former PM's name into a derogatory meaning has been removed. Spell people's names correctly or your post(s) will be removed.

[lizardtongue]

BANGKOK: -- A conservation group submitted a petition with more than 9,000 signatures from people opposed to a controversial dam on the Mekong River to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday, demanding the Thai government cease support for the Xayaburi Dam.

She took that on board? Obviously big brother didn't agree?

[asiawatcher]

I would think recent visits by the puppet master to Laos may have had a lot to do with 'negotiations'. As to the construction - every satang will be used, even if it is not accounted for. Let's just hope the quality of the construction is worth at least something in the tax payers minds. It has never been a good idea to interfere with nature and none more so to the people along the Mekong River, Delta and flood plains. If this is progress, it is a high price to pay both in humanistic toll and scams of funds from tax payers.

[OzMick]

After 20 years working in the electricity generation industry (coal-fired BTW), I predict that in the future as fossil fuels are depleted, the objections to this dam will be seen as ridiculous and to waste such a valuable energy resource near-criminal.

Expected annual generation is 7,400 GWh the equivalent of burning 300,000 tonne of coal EACH YEAR.

Or you could try to produce 20GWh/day from solar, which would require a 2.5GW solar plant (allowing a capacity factor of 33.33%, much higher than achieved anywhere). The world's largest solar plants are being built in Oz (where hydro power availability is minimal), at 0.15 GW (150 MW) they are twice the size of anything yet built and estimated cost exceeds a billion $AU each.

So not only is the dam FAR cheaper than any alternative, it also requires far less maintenance, and produces power that can be sold at a much higher price due to 24hr availability and load-following ability.

[FarangTalk]

Of course they support it. It is going to be built by Thai companies and provide power to Thailand.

Sad day for the environment, the Mekhong, Cambodia and Vietnam though.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

[Soi Sauce]

Of course they support it. It is going to be built by Thai companies and provide power to Thailand.

Sad day for the environment, the Mekhong, Cambodia and Vietnam though.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

Sad day for Thailand, too, A lot of those by the Mekong up-north, who voted for these thieves, will lose their liveliehoods.

When will they wake up? Can't sell their rice, except to the clan, yer water and fish have gone, thanks to the clan, so we'll grab yer land coz it's worthless.

Then, it's ours, then yer shagged.

Thanks for the votes, protests and deaths. We're fine now, so go away and stop bothering us.

Mr. T always loved gold.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Soi Sauce

[DonaldBattles]

This seems like a good project to me for the Lao people. There must be natural gas in Lao somewhere if China would spend the money to help them find it.

Regarding hydrocarbon fuels, there is no shortage in the world just a shortage of money to get it out of the ground. The USA has discovered enough gas in one multi state seam to last for the next 150 years. Hydraulic fracturing allows for this gas to be pressure forced out of the shale rock. Nuclear power is the feasible alternative energy as solar and wind take for ever to pay out. Gasoline in the USA remains very cheap in terms of old money when discounted for cost of living increases. Higher taxes are the only way to get people to conserve. Then the higher taxes are stolen by the politicians or wasteful projects are done.

With respect to C02 and green house gasses until major countries get serious this problem will stay with us. When you look at the C02 generated from making the steel and concrete for one windmill it is a was or break even for C02 emissions during the life of the windmill.

[zakk9]

After 20 years working in the electricity generation industry (coal-fired BTW), I predict that in the future as fossil fuels are depleted, the objections to this dam will be seen as ridiculous and to waste such a valuable energy resource near-criminal.

Expected annual generation is 7,400 GWh the equivalent of burning 300,000 tonne of coal EACH YEAR.

Or you could try to produce 20GWh/day from solar, which would require a 2.5GW solar plant (allowing a capacity factor of 33.33%, much higher than achieved anywhere). The world's largest solar plants are being built in Oz (where hydro power availability is minimal), at 0.15 GW (150 MW) they are twice the size of anything yet built and estimated cost exceeds a billion $AU each.

So not only is the dam FAR cheaper than any alternative, it also requires far less maintenance, and produces power that can be sold at a much higher price due to 24hr availability and load-following ability.

Nice figures, but didn't you forget to include the 60 million people in the lower Mekong region who depend on this river for their food and income, people who won't see a single satang or a single megawatt generated from the dam? Oh, and btw.; Thailand is building a coal power station in Hongsa, Laos as well, run on lignite that will be producing only 2,400 to 2,500 kilocalories, which will be converted to 10 megajoules, which is so little that they probably wouldn't have bothered if the pollution ended up in their own backyard. Oh, wait... the pollution is ending up in their own backyard. Far from Bangkok though, so who cares anyway.

Thailand seems to aim to monopolise production of electricity in the region, regardless of the cost.

[nakhonandy]

Of course they support it. It is going to be built by Thai companies and provide power to Thailand.

Sad day for the environment, the Mekhong, Cambodia and Vietnam though.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

Absolutely correct.

Thailand building it and have already agreed to buy the electricity for imminent future.

Can't see it impacting the Thai's too much environmentally, major difference for Cambodia and Vietnam though.

Another point that appears to be of concern is that it is being built on a fault line.

[pacovl46]

Of course they do!!! Since certain people will profit from it on a major scale!!! It's pathetic!!!

[morocco]

After 20 years working in the electricity generation industry (coal-fired BTW), I predict that in the future as fossil fuels are depleted, the objections to this dam will be seen as ridiculous and to waste such a valuable energy resource near-criminal.

Expected annual generation is 7,400 GWh the equivalent of burning 300,000 tonne of coal EACH YEAR.

Or you could try to produce 20GWh/day from solar, which would require a 2.5GW solar plant (allowing a capacity factor of 33.33%, much higher than achieved anywhere). The world's largest solar plants are being built in Oz (where hydro power availability is minimal), at 0.15 GW (150 MW) they are twice the size of anything yet built and estimated cost exceeds a billion $AU each.

So not only is the dam FAR cheaper than any alternative, it also requires far less maintenance, and produces power that can be sold at a much higher price due to 24hr availability and load-following ability.

Yea,that's right. And who cares about the millions of lives that will be affected when the 10 other proposed dams on built on this mighty river.

[easybullet3]

Those billion dollar projects create many "opportunities". Of course the Thaksin clan will support those projects.

"The Thai government is not opposed to the project," said Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichachaikul,"

Who are the owners of the Thai constructor, building this project? (Ch. Karnchang Public Company Limited)

Perhaps that would explain, why some Thai people are against it, but the government isn't!

exactly!

- any greedy person in power would welcome the chance to pocket a few more million dollars for a holiday home/new car/ etc,,,

[dude007]

Surapong = [Plodprasob]^2

[dude007]

and there goes the Mekong.... One of the last environmental friendly rivers, down the drain and the sink.

Again the Thais... what a greed-loving-government!

[Tawng]

"The Lao government has already conducted studies that show there would be no impact on the environment and fisheries," Surapong said

US$3.5 billion, 1,260 megawatt dam project and no impact on the environment?

That suggests one of 4 things:

1) Surapong is a complete idiot

2) He is a brazen liar

3) The Lao government study was done in longhand on the back of a romance comic by a secretary.

4) All of the above

Probably number 4).

You cannot block a river and have no environmental impact, and in this case the impact would be far-reaching.

If that quote from Surapong is accurate he is being stunningly ignorant/dishonest.

[morocco]

http://bit.ly/U5RTeJ

Doesn't sound good

[DonaldBattles]

As Thailand does not own any of the Mekong River they don't have much to say. They traded the river to the French for Isan.

[jrincon17]

Going to be a shame when she blows !

[DeepInTheForest]

http://bit.ly/U5RTeJ

Doesn't sound good

thanks for this post, morocco. A worthy read.

[Thai at Heart]

As Thailand does not own any of the Mekong River they don't have much to say. They traded the river to the French for Isan.

If that were true, can we b4 traded back?

[brianP]

After 20 years working in the electricity generation industry (coal-fired BTW), I predict that in the future as fossil fuels are depleted, the objections to this dam will be seen as ridiculous and to waste such a valuable energy resource near-criminal.

Expected annual generation is 7,400 GWh the equivalent of burning 300,000 tonne of coal EACH YEAR.

Or you could try to produce 20GWh/day from solar, which would require a 2.5GW solar plant (allowing a capacity factor of 33.33%, much higher than achieved anywhere). The world's largest solar plants are being built in Oz (where hydro power availability is minimal), at 0.15 GW (150 MW) they are twice the size of anything yet built and estimated cost exceeds a billion $AU each.

So not only is the dam FAR cheaper than any alternative, it also requires far less maintenance, and produces power that can be sold at a much higher price due to 24hr availability and load-following ability.

In a perfect case scenario,my wife would work and be cheerier and provide sex at my desired hour, my son would be hitting the books and not playing video games and the dogs would sleep through every bark filled night. So the fuc_kin dam_n might make some rich folks richer and fuc_k up the area when we have sun up the ying yang here.Sure, take a red flag enema break ya freak....

[brianP]

We will see how much water is available after China's dams have strangled the aqua.

[cowslip]

So the Xaraburi dam building has re-started..........a tragedy for the river, the people and the environment. Laos is a poor country and hope to benefit from this.

What is nearer the truth is that a few rich men in Thailand will benefit the most, followed by a few rich men in Laos.

They claim that the electricity will benefit the poor of Laos - rubbish! - they haven't even got the infrastructure for this - the power is to be sold to Thailand - who apparently don't even need it now or in the future.

Using electricity a long way from source is hugely inefficient - up to 50% - this whole project is just a bunch of self-serving plutocrats feathering their nests at the expensive of people and the environment - what a legacy!

[DonaldBattles]

By now most people have come to the conclusion that the likes of the Texas Oil Mafia directly or indirectly control the worlds energy supply and this has been going on since 1931. Look at the number of presidents that Texas has had, 5 including Bush Junior 2 times. It was oil that put them into the white house. To my knowledge there has been no new significant hydroelectric projects in the USA since Roosevelt left office. The reason for this is there is no shortage of oil or gas, just a shortage of money. Someone is right, as the Chinese control most everything down stream they control the big river with it's dams. When the new bridge at Chiang Kong opens it is estimated that 300, 18 wheel trucks will pass over every 24 hours bringing cheap food and low class junk to Thailand from China. It is estimated that a staff of 70 immigration and customs people will be on board to great the loads and hordes from China. Wish they could send some of these to the big swampy airport. They won't need the river for transport very much when the new bridge is open. It should be noted that the Chinese promote and pay for most of these ventures. Chiang Kong is going to boom!