Hongsa power station

Hongsa power station is a proposed 1,878 megawatts lignite fired power station which is currently under construction in Hongsa district, Sayaboury province, Laos. The power station is proposed as a mine-mouth power station. The power station and associated mine are slated to cost US$4 billion. The consortium has been granted a 25 year concession over a 60 square kilometre site.

Under the terms of a May 2009 agreement 1,473MW will be exported to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) with 100MW for domestic Lao consumption. (The remainder is for on site use).

The project is being developed by Hongsa Power Company, a consortium comprising the Thai company Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company (RATCH), Banpu Power (a susbidiary of the the Thai coal-mining company Banpu) (BPP) and Lao Holding State Enterprise (LHSE). RATCH and BPP each have a 40% stake in the project and LHSE 20%.

Background
In 1996, Thai Lao Power Co. Ltd. (TLL) initiated the proposed development at HongSa District, Laos PDR. The project is to be comprised of a coal mine, power plant and transmission line.

It is reported that the project comprises of a large open pit lignite mine which will supply fuel for a power plant consisting of three (3) 626 MW (gross) generating units. Water supply for the power plant will be from 2 reservoirs on Nam Louak (upstream of Muang Hongsa) and Nam Kene (downstream of Muang Hongsa). A double circuit 500 kV transmission line will also be constructed.

Community resistance
In May 2013 it was reported that authorities in northern Laos had barred non-governmental organizations from meeting with villagers being relocated for the plant. The NGOs said they are trying to inform residents about their compensation rights and the full impact of the project.

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