Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Hun Sen to inaugurate final phase of ‘controversial’ dam

Hun Sen to inaugurate final phase of ‘controversial’ dam

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The Lower Sesan II hydropower plant will be officially inaugurated in the middle of December, Stung Treng provincial authority spokesman said on Wednesday. Hong Menea

Hun Sen to inaugurate final phase of ‘controversial’ dam

The government plans to inaugurate the controversial Lower Sesan II hydropower dam in the “middle of next month”, in a ceremony that will be presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen, a Stung Treng provincial authority spokesman said on Wednesday.

Stung Treng provincial Mines and Energy department director Nou Sovannara told The Post on Wednesday that he was optimistic the project would improve the livelihoods of people in the province.

However, the dam project in the province, which is near the border with Laos, has not been without controversy.

It has displaced around 1,500 households and flooded tens of thousands of hectares of forest in Stung Treng’s Sesan district.

Conservation groups have also long warned of the damage the dam may cause to the ecosystem along that part of the Mekong River system.

The Lower Sesan II Dam is the biggest hydropower plant project in Cambodia, and it is estimated to have the capacity to generate 400 megawatts of electricity.

Its floodgates were closed on September 25 last year, to create its reservoir and test its turbines.

Stung Treng provincial authority spokesman Men Kong said the hydropower plant will have the capacity to supply electricity to everybody in the province.

In the next phase, the government plans to distribute the electricity it generates to other provinces.

“If everything remains on track, the Lower Sesan II hydropower plant will be officially inaugurated in the middle of December. Prime Minister Hun Sen will preside over the ceremony,” he said.

Kong said cheaper electricity costs would benefit Stung Treng’s cashew, rubber and cassava industries.

“Having [cheap] and abundant electricity, national and international investors may see the potential and invest in factories to process cashew nuts, rubber plants and cassava in Stung Treng. This will lead to more jobs for our people in the province,” he said.

However, fish experts have warned of the damage to migration routes. Ian Baird, a geographer at the University of Wisconsin who studies Mekong River fisheries, said fish rely on the ability to move between the Sesan and Srepok rivers and the Tonle Sap to breed.

He said the negative impact of the Sesan dam will be felt in Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, all of which depend on the Mekong River system’s annual flood cycle to deposit nutrient-rich soil on its banks.

The dam will also prevent fish from migrating upstream to Cambodia’s northern neighbours, he said.

A $781.52 million joint project between China-based Hydrolancang International Energy, Vietnam-based EVN International and Cambodia’s Royal Group, the dam will be privately operated before being handed over to the government after 40 years.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • PM urges end to ‘baseless’ international Ream base accusations

    Prime Minister Hun Sen urges an end to “baseless” foreign accusations surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s Ream Naval Base, as the US has consistently suggested that the base is being expanded to accommodate a Chinese military presence. Hun Sen renewed his calls while

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.