Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is confident that the Xayaburi hydropower plant in Laos will be able to commence operations and feed in power by 2019 as scheduled.
Environmental groups are against the massive construction project for the generation of more than 1,000 megawatts mainly for sale to Thailand.
Egat governor Sutas Patamasiriwat said today yesterday that Ch Karnchang, the main investor in the project, had notified the agency that it was highly likely that the construction would go ahead as planned.
Ch Karnchang also said the Laotian government was conducting a public hearing as well as hiring a consultant to carry out an environmental impact assessment, as required by the Mekong River Commission (MRC). As that process should be wrapped up soon, the construction should be completed in 2019 as planned.
Sutas said Egat and the Energy Ministry were waiting for confirmation from the Laotian government as well as the MRC. Meanwhile, public prosecutors officials are screening the draft power purchase agreement.
Ch Karnchang expects investment into the 1,285MW hydropower plant to total Bt115 billion. – The Nation
