Xekaman 3 Hydropower, installed capacity: 250 MW, developed by an independent power producer (IPP)

Xekaman 3 Hydropower, installed capacity: 250 MW, developed by an independent power producer (IPP) Xekaman 3 Power Ltd. Co. is owner of the power plant. Viet-Lao Power Joint Stock Company is the majority shareholder at 85 percent while Electricite du Laos (EDL) holds a share of 15 percent. Main Designer to the hydropower plant was Song Da Consulting JSC. Main contractor was Vietnam-based Song Da Corporation. Construction period was 2006 – 2013 [Source: hobomap]

Construction period is 5 years; The dam was built between 2006 and 2010.

According the press release on 32 Nov 2011 on VLPC website, the project completed the work of compensation and removal from reservoir area. [Source: VLPC website ] Soon after completion the dam started to be plagues by landslide problems at the penstock, which it appears was constructed on an ancient landslide without adequate measures being taken to provide stability. A break in a critical waterway shut down a hydro-electric Xekaman 3 dam, located in southern Laos and raised questions about the quality of construction at the facility that sends most of the power it generates to Vietnam. While officials said on the 16 Dec 2016 break in the Xekaman 3 facility’s penstock posed no threat to people living downstream, it marked the second breakdown in the tunnel that channels water to the power turbine [Source: AGU] As the damage of penstock occurred causing the machine to stop, the unit 1 of the plant has been commercially operated again at 7:30 a.m. on 22 May 2022; Unit 2 at 5:30 pm on 2 June 2022, timely generating and transmitting power to Vietnam under the contract signed before the hot season. [Source: EVN]

Based on the report of press release on company website, nearly 2,000 workers of Song Da Corporation worked on construction of the project. [Source: Company website]

Many villages in the upstream and downstream of the Xekaman 3 dam did not receive information about estimated losses to fisheries, wild foods and land prior to construction. As a result, village headmen reported that people were not prepared for these losses and were not offered compensation either before or after construction began. [Source: International Rivers]

The headman and village families in Ban Dakman say that over the past two years, they have written letters to Song Da personnel to request the building of a gravity-fed pump that could provide a source of potable water. They never received a reply. [Source: International Rivers]

According to the project document for CDM, 57 households with around 342 people were affected due to the project. No people were dislocated. Compensation and support were given to affected people. The project was also being evaluated for WCD (World Commission on Dams) compliance. Another source (RFA) reported that there were about 200 families or around 1200 households affected by this dam construction. [Source: CDM & RFA]

Villagers said that significant declines in fish catches of around 90-95% since construction activities began. [Source: International Rivers]

On company website, it reported that the project investor built a new school and upgraded a hospital valued at 126,000 USD in Dakcheung district, Sekong province. It was also reported that the compensated land was to build roads 16B, D4, D3, TC17, TC15B. [Source: Company website & CDM]

The project will reduce GHG emissions by annually 792,824 tCO2 by producing electricity with a renewable source thus substituting electricity produced in Vietnam to a large extent by fossil means. Only electricity sold to Vietnam is accounted for. The electricity supplied to Laos will thus not be included in any ER calculations. Only the combined grid factor Vietnam is taken to determine the Combined Margin. pSource: Validation report of CDM[ According satellite images reported by Hobomap, there is the possible expansion of Xekaman 3 tributary river system and reservoir may be the new dam and reservoir at Dak Cheung town. [Source: hobomap]