ENVIRONMENT
Egat's access to dam power in doubt
Janjira Pongrai
The Nation

Court agrees to rule on Xayaburi case

BANGKOK: -- THE SUPREME Administrative Court has agreed to rule on a case involving the Xayaburi Dam, which is now being constructed in Laos.

The case will have no direct impact on whether the construction can go ahead but will affect the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand's (Egat) contract to buy electricity from the Bt120-billion dam.

If the contract is cancelled, there is a possibility the ongoing construction may come to a halt. The Egat, after all, is a major buyer of electricity from this dam project.

Supported by non-governmental organisations, including International Rivers, 37 Thais from eight northeastern provinces have lodged a petition with the Administrative Court against the Egat and several state agencies on the grounds that Thai authorities failed to fully comply with laws in signing up to buy electricity .

Located on the Mekong River, the Xayaburi Dam has caused serious concern among people living downstream.

All Thais who brought the case before the administrative court live in the downstream zones.

Their petition has also targeted the National Energy Policy Council, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Energy Ministry and the Cabinet.

The Central Administrative Court earlier decided not to rule on their petition, citing the complainants would by no means be affected by the electricity purchase.

The Supreme Administrative Court, however, has overruled the lower court's decision.

"We will rule on this case because available evidence suggests relevant authorities have failed to adequately listen to the opinions of people and to comply with the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement," court judge Suchat Mongkollertlop said yesterday.

He pointed out that public hearings were held in three provinces only, while many more provinces on the Mekong River were likely to be affected.

He also pointed to the need to provide adequate information to stakeholders and to assess impacts on the environment, public health and society.

Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, a lawyer who has assisted local people with the case, said she was satisfied with the latest court decision.

She said local people's concerns would also be raised at the upcoming meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), to be held in Thailand later this week.


-- The Nation 2014-06-25

Dams are 'old school' like horse driven trams. They cause manifold harm to nature and people. There are workable alternatives, but don't expect SE Asians to be apprised, as they're usually years behind the 8 ball. S.E. Asians may get hip to 'river power' using water wheels in 10 to 50 years, but they'll have to see it working in farang countries before they will try it in their own countries. Below are some already-functioning contraptions:

>>> Here's the concept I like the best: 'water wheels' which float on pontoons.

some other concepts:

>>> Pontoon (animation) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O57132xYHa0

>>> a small scale 'undershot' water wheel
which could be scaled up:

>>> 3 Kw functional 'undershot water wheel' in Utah.

Dams are 'old school' like horse driven trams. They cause manifold harm to nature and people. There are workable alternatives, but don't expect SE Asians to be apprised, as they're usually years behind the 8 ball. S.E. Asians may get hip to 'river power' using water wheels in 10 to 50 years, but they'll have to see it working in farang countries before they will try it in their own countries. Below are some already-functioning contraptions:

>>> Here's the concept I like the best: 'water wheels' which float on pontoons.

some other concepts:

>>> Pontoon (animation) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O57132xYHa0

>>> a small scale 'undershot' water wheel

which could be scaled up:

>>> 3 Kw functional 'undershot water wheel' in Utah.

I agree with you about the enviroment aspect, but do have any idea how many of this Utah powerplants you have to built, to remove the Xayaburi dam!!???

420,000 of this mini water mills, they are good for remote areas, but not to produce a lot of energy for the industry for example.

Follow the main stream of Mekong from Xayaburi down to the Delta about 1500km you have build in average every 280 mtr.one of these 3 KW watermills

like this in Utah and this is another environment aspect.

in response to 'German Viking': The examples I put forth are mainly to jangle the brain synapses of people who might be able to affect sensible policy for the Mekong. It's a conceptional thing, which hopefully might inspire someone or a consortium to do something good. There could be a contest, open to entrants worldwide, to see which system could provide, for example, 2 to 5 KW from Mekong river flow. The winner would win contract to build, let's say 2,000 units to string along the Mekong, wherever there's a village or wat. Some settlements would suffice with one 3 Kw unit, for example, while a town might need a combination of units which provide sufficient electricity.

In the bigger picture: multiple river power units providing electricity, along the Mekong, where needed. That would preclude building one or more big dams, and most environmental impacts which come from dams.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm drawn to the waterwheel idea, where a generator is positioned alongside - between a pair of floating pontoons. Of course, the whole thing would have to be well-tethered, and it would rise or fall with river levels.

If I had extra money, I would see about independently funding such a contest, but alas......

Question: would all the entrants (for river-power generators) be from farang countries, or would there be any from Asia? I don't know.