Nam Theun 2 Dam
| Nam Theun 2 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bolikhamsai and Khammouane Provinces, Laos |
| Coordinates | 17°59′49″N 104°57′10″E / 17.99694°N 104.95278°E |
| Construction began | 2005 |
| Opening date | December 2010 (Inauguration) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Nam Theun |
| Height | 39 m (128 ft) |
| Length | 436 m (1,430 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 3.53 km3 (2,860,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 4,039 km2 (1,559 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 450 km2 (170 sq mi) |
| Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | Nam Theun 2 Power Company |
| Commission date | April 2010 |
| Turbines | EDL: 2 × 37.5 MW Pelton turbine EGAT: 4 × 250 MW Francis turbine |
| Installed capacity | 1,075 MW |
The Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project, or simply NT2, is a hydroelectric dam on the Nam Theun River in Laos. Commercial operation of the plant began in April 2010. The scheme diverts water from the Nam Theun, a tributary of the Mekong River, to the Xe Bang Fai River, enabling a generation capacity of 1,075 MW, from a 350 m (1,148 ft) difference in elevation between the reservoir and the power station.
It is the 2nd largest hydroelectric project so far in Laos after Xayaburi Dam, exporting power to Thailand as well as supplying the local area with electricity. At the time of signing in 2005, NT2 was the largest foreign investment in Laos, the world's largest private sector cross-border power project financing, the largest private sector hydroelectric project financing, and one of the largest internationally financed IPP projects in Southeast Asia. The dam also marked a return by the World Bank to funding large-scale infrastructure, after a decade-long hiatus.
According to the government of Laos, "the project is an essential part of the country's development framework and the project's implementation is likely to be the first real possibility for (Laos) to reduce gradually its dependence on Official Development Assistance".
The project has significant environmental and social impacts, and comprehensive measures have been designed to mitigate these. According to a group of social and environmental experts who advise on the project, these measures could become a global model. Although Newsweek referred to it as a "kinder and gentler dam", the project has also attracted criticism.
By 2015, it was possible to see the effect of the dam and criticism mounted. A group of non-governmental organisations said: "Ten years after the start of the construction of the Nam Theun 2 Dam in Central Laos, it is clear that this mega project has disastrous impacts on people and their environment."