13.4 PLANS/SCHEMES FOR HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT IN THE MEKONG

Estimates of the hydropower potential of the LMB vary, depending on the applied feasibility criteria. MRC estimates put the hydropower potential of the basin at some 30,000 megawatts (MW). This may be divided as follows:

13,000 MW in the mainstream;
13,000 MW in Lao tributaries;
2,200 MW in Cambodia tributaries; and
2,000 MW in Viet Nam tributaries.

To date, 11 schemes have been completed in the LMB, all tributary projects, totaling some 1,600 MW, or 5% of the potential. Mainstream projects in Yunnan Province in China represent a potential of some 23,000 MW, of which somewhat less than 3,000 MW have been developed to date. A list of existing hydropower projects in the LMB is presented in the figure to the left.

Several of the hydropower development projects in the Mekong Basin have undergone scrutiny by NGOs and other organizations, and in some cases protest rallies and hostile actions have resulted. Extensive media attention followed the cases of the Pak Mun Dam in Thailand, and the Ialy project in Viet Nam. Projects in Lao PDR have also been scrutinized for impacts to fisheries, agriculture and for resettlement disputes. Overall, it is safe to say that the experience offered by hydropower projects to date in the LMB have been mixed, with reduced benefits and higher costs compared to original expectations in several instances.

Future hydropower development projects planned for the Mekong Basin include:

China – 14 power projects in the Mekong mainstem. Twelve (12) are large reservoir projects, which will have a significant impact on the downstream flow regime. It appears that no EIAs have been prepared with respect to the impacts on the LMB of the planned developments in China.

Lao PDR – A number of potential projects have been identified on the mainstem Mekong River. Lao PDR has a large number of project sites on the tributaries, which will be developed prior to any of the larger projects on the mainstem. At present (2002), Lao PDR has one mainstem Mekong project in the pipeline, and a small run-of-river project near Khone Falls.

Thailand – No new major hydropower plants are planned. However, Thailand has plans to divert water from the Mekong basin to the Chao Phraya. The impacts of this proposed development are currently being assessed.
Cambodia – No new major hydropower plants are planned.

Viet Nam – No new major hydropower plants are planned. However, expansion of the Ialy project is currently underway. In 2001 and 2002, this project received international media attention due to its downstream impact in the Se San and Se Prok sub-basins in Cambodia.

For the MRC, hydropower potential is treated as one of many available renewable natural resources, which should only be developed in a basin-wide context, where overall impacts are taken into account and different uses and users of water are given due consideration. MRC's current hydropower activities are to ensure that the increasing demand for electric energy in member countries is met without being detrimental to the environment or communities. The MRC Strategy on Hydropower Development was finalized in 2001 – this document outlines MRC's role in the sector, which has shifted from investigations of hydropower development opportunities, to providing information and policy advice on broader, basin-wide issues in the sector.