On the morning of August 31, 2022, the General Director of the Department of Organization and Personnel Development of the Ministry of Energy and Mines held a ceremony to announce the managing director of Nam Ngum 3 Power Company Limited at the ELECTRICTE DU LAOS (headquarter).
Mr. Thongphat INTHAWAN, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, read the agreement of the Minister of Finance on the approval of employees of Nam Ngum 3 Power Co., Ltd. to receive pension benefits No. 2071/MAF, dated July 11, 2022, and the agreement on the appointment of the managing director of Nam Ngum 3 Power Company Limited, No. 1633/MAF, dated June 5, 2022.
Dr. Komonchanh PHETASA, the former director of Nam Ngum 3, stated that the Nam Ngum 3 power plant has been functional since 2017, and that I, along with the board and development partners, have concurrently developed the Nam Ngum 3 power plant, which has an installed capacity of 480MW and can produce an average of 2,345 Gwh of electricity per year. After the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the project with the shareholders, the whole work plan is to transform the project into a private power generation business (IPP) in BOT format, which has a total value of 1,400 million US dollars, with the aim of producing electricity for export to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) alone. The dam’s construction contract was given to SINOHYDRO company from China as the project construction contractor in the design, procurement, and construction survey (EPC), while Artelia consulting business was appointed as a technical inspector and construction quality control. The project is progressing at 79.8% till August 2022.
The work that needs to be continued is to continue putting forth a loan agreement and negotiating with EXIM to release funds to pay for the construction, continue with the project’s construction in accordance with the plan to sell electricity to EGAT Thailand, work with the consulting firm Artelia to persuade the contracting firm Sinohydro to inspect the design and verify the design outcomes in accordance with international technical standards, Continue allowing the government (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Energy and Mines) to provide close guidance to complete the construction project in accordance with the plan, continue paying more attention to regularly inspecting and monitoring the field work, and eventually, the work related to other parts must be completed urgently.
At the end, Mr. Komonchanh Phetasa also expressed his gratitude and ended his official retirement. He had spent 30 years working for ELECTRICITE DU LAOS and five years working for Nam Ngum 3 Power Limited. I’d like to take this chance to thank the party-state leadership and the staff at Nam Ngum 3 Power Company Limited and the ELECTRICITE DU LAOS for their cooperation in completing the task effectively.
The chairman of Nam Ngum 3’s board of directors, Mr. Suliwat Suvananachoumkham, awarded the former director of the company a trophy and a certificate.
Mr. Preechar KANTHAMOON, Director General of Nam Ngum 3 (the new person), stated: “The Nam Ngum 3 power dam is a dam that was built to produce clean energy, serve the society, and follow the trend of turning into an industry, modern in the energy sector of the government that the public sector and the ELECTRICITE DU LAOS have built, a dam that has a low impact on the environment and society, has a good command system, a good management system. By accepting the tasks, will focus on extensive work, maintain standards, work collaboratively to achieve success, and have safety in work from dams, tunnels, water pipelines, engine houses, water turbines, and turbines to the transmission line to the Electricity Company of Thailand (EGAT). With consultants who are qualified, experienced, and professional, and who work together to ensure the dam’s achievement in the end.
Ms. Saisavanh SOUDACHAN, Deputy Director of Nam Ngum 3, and the team presented the new director with a bouquet of flowers.
Mr. Thongphat INATHAVAN talked with both existing and new directors prior to the final agenda. Firstly, he complimented the accomplishments of ELECTRICITE DU LAOS and Nam Ngum 3 Company. Following that, he requested that the new director continue to carry out the Nam Ngum 3 Dam construction project in order to sell power to Thailand on time in 2024.
Finally, Mr. Preechar KANTHAMOON, the director of Nam Ngum 3, gave a speech thanking the guests who attended the event and promising to do everything possible with the cooperation of all parties for the success of the organization and the nation to continue to develop. He also invited the guests to take photos before the ceremony ended beautifully.
The Nam Ngum 3 power project in Lao People’s Democratic Republic will be built on the Ngum River, a tributary of the Mekong River. The project will cost $1,400 million US dollars. It has a capacity of 480 megawatts and can generate an average of 2,345 gigawatt hours of power each year. Known holders are Chaleun Sekong Power Company Limited (55%), Lao Electricity Company Limited (20%), and Electricity Company of Thailand (25%), and when completed, electricity will be sold to Thailand by 2024.