The Namkong 1 hydropower plant in Attapeu province. --Photo Mr Chen Yunquan.

Foreign firm to finance more clean hydropower plants in Laos

Beijing, China: The China International Water & Electric Corp (CWE) will continue to invest more capital in hydropower projects and other sectors in Laos despite the unprecedented crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic in the past few years.
“We’ve been in Laos for over two decades, investing in five hydropower projects, and four transmission and transformation line projects with multiple million US dollars, and more investment capital is expected to be forthcoming in the future,” the General Manager of the Namkong 1 hydropower project Mr Chen Yuquan told this Vientiane Times reporter during a recent one-on-one interview in China.
The company faces numerous challenges and has been unable to collect a sizeable profit from its key energy buyers due to the current economic turbulence as well as the Covid-19 crisis in the past three years.
The China International Water & Electric Corp owns five hydropower plants in Laos, of which three are under construction, namely the Nam Lik 1-2 hydropower plant, Namkong 1 hydropower plant, and Nam Ngiep 2 hydropower plant.
These projects are creating employment opportunities for 300 to 400 local employees in the provinces of Xieng Khuang, Vientiane and Attapeu where the projects are located and operational.
Meanwhile, the coverage of transmission systems and transformation lines in additional provinces is also creating job opportunities. The company has built a diverse and inclusive career development and vocational education platform for nearly 200 local employees.
 “Our company will continue to invest more in diversifying projects in Laos because the country has the most abundant water resources in Asean,” Mr Chen said.
Over the past 20 years, the company has increasingly contributed to local communities through the construction and improvement of roads and bridges, schools, children’s playgrounds, laboratories and other facilities in various provinces.
Mr Chen said investment in hydropower by his company aligns with the Belt and Road Initiative’s focus on clean-energy technologies and seeking pathways for renewable energy investment in the future.
The China International Water & Electric Corp is a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC), which is a majority state-owned, publicly traded, multinational engineering and construction company primarily engaged in the design, construction and operation of infrastructure assets.
The company has been a contractor for numerous Belt and Road Initiative projects in China and overseas, engaging in world-class design and construction projects including highways, bridges, tunnels, railways (especially high-speed rail), subways, airports, oil platforms, and marine ports.
According to the CCCC source, one of the essential BRI projects built by CCCC is the China-Laos Railway. As of today, the railway continues to play a positive role in enabling the people of the two countries to travel conveniently and efficiently.
Significantly, it also makes domestic and international circulations unimpeded and demonstrates a strong trend in both passenger and cargo transport as well as supporting the development of the China-Laos Economic Corridor.
Bounfaeng Phaymanivong, a journalist with Lao Press in Foreign Languages (Vientiane Times), is taking part in a four-month China Asia Pacific Press Centre 2023 Programme as one of more than 80 media personnel from almost 70 countries. The programme has been set up by the China Public Diplomacy Association under the supervision of the China International Press Communication Centre.

By Bounfaeng Phaymanivong
 (Latest Update October 3, 2023)