Xayaburi is described as a state-of-the-art, run-of-river plant with an installed capacity of 1285MW. The design includes multiple fish passages, fish-friendly turbines, low level outlet gates for sediment flushing and navigation locks for shipping to minimise possible adverse environmental and social effects of the plant. Power production will be sufficient to provide clean electricity to nearly one million people in Lao PDR and three million people in Thailand.
In 2011 Pöyry acted as a technical consultant for the Government of Lao and prepared a technical comparison between the original Xayaburi hydropower project design and the recommendations of the mekong-river-commission. In that technical comparison, Pöyry made several specific recommendations to improve the sustainability of the scheme including additional environmental studies, installation of additional fish ladders and other measures to improve fish migration, as well as technical design modifications to improve sediment and nutrients handling. The Government of Lao and Xayaburi Power Company have confirmed that the recommendations made by Pöyry will be incorporated in the project design.
‘Large infrastructure projects such as hydro power plants raise a variety of sustainability related questions among stakeholders. However, the Xayaburi hydropower plant, as an example, will provide CO2-free renewable energy for about four million people in Southeast Asia,’ says Ari Asikainen, president of Pöyry’s energy business group. ‘Through this assignment Pöyry is committed to monitoring the construction of the hydro power plant and its compliance with the Mekong River Commission guidelines, including the proposed technical design improvements and additional studies. I believe that by first reviewing the project’s technical design, and now overseeing project implementation, we can actively and positively contribute in the careful implementation of the first hydro power project in the lower Mekong river,’ Asikainen added.
