Feature: Chinese company building hydropower plants greatly improves lives of Lao residents

Sourced from Chinese Yunnan province's Jiangcheng, Nam Ou River is the largest eastern tributary of the Mekong River in Laos.

After running southward through mountains and forests, Nam Ou River pours into the Mekong River in Laos' northern Luang Prabang province, some 220 km north of the capital Vientiane.

Thanks to the development of a full basin cascade hydropower project by a Chinese enterprise, livelihood in the mountainous area of Laos is changing dramatically while local people are also stepping into a new life.

After a 20-minute drive northward from Luang Prabang, the road along Nam Ou River leads into the mountains. Unlike other places in northern Laos that are sparsely populated, this area is becoming increasingly busy. Newly-built filling stations, for example, are easy to find along the road.

Another 20-minute drive will lead to the site of companies and project departments under the auspices of PowerChina Resources Ltd. (PCR). Nam Ou hydropower project is PCR's first overseas investment in implementing the promotion of whole industry chain integration.

The project consists of seven stations with a total installed capacity of 1,272 MW and annual energy production of some 5,000 GWh. The project is planned to be developed in two stages by PCR with investment of 2.8 billion U.S. dollars and a 25-year concession period.

The first stop on the journey was the construction site of the second stage's No. 1 hydropower station. A year ago, learning that the hydropower plant was about to start, a 35-year-old villager called Nang Pak took all her savings and built a shack on the roadside and bought a new freezer to open a small store selling daily necessities.

"My husband goes to work and I stay at home to take care of the children. I don't want to stay idle," she told Xinhua.

Construction of the four stations under the second stage began in April 2016 and is expected to be complete for electricity generation in 2020. All kinds of daily necessities can be found at Nang Pak's store, including "Made in China" melon seeds and instant noodles. "Chinese workers often come here to buy goods. Phone cards, instant noodles and cigarettes are the best selling items," she said.

Next to Nang Pak's store, 49-year-old Yang Dongqing from China's Henan province opened a small restaurant. "The construction of hydropower plants here will definitely benefit local residents," he said, while pointing at a row of shops along the road. "These shops were just built in the past two years," he told Xinhua.

Vieng and Duy are two employees at Yang's restaurant. The two local girls dropped out of school after finishing secondary education. "We planned to stay at home to help parents after dropping out, but there was nothing to do."

"We carried a back basket to the mountain everyday and sometimes came back with an empty one," they said, while wrapping dumplings. Now being able to earn money from working at Yang's restaurant, Duy said she is thinking of going back to school.

On the west side of Nam Ou River, the management and office area at the construction site is well-organized. A bridge has been built to connect with the east side of the river while machines and vehicles work busily.

"We not only consider the economic interests of local residents, but also focus on environmental protection," Hu Shengfeng, Executive General Manager of the second stage, told Xinhua.

"For example, we tried to protect the old-growth forest on the mountains at two sides of the river as much as possible. During the four-year construction of the first stage, we invested some 300,000 U.S. dollars in building a wastewater treatment system and septic tanks," Hu said.

Around half an hour's drive from the No.1 hydropower plant, the No. 2 plant appeared like a lush green garden next to the original forest.

"The first stage of the project has been put into operation, including No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 plants with a total installed capacity of 540 MW and annual energy production of 2,187 GWh. Construction of the project began in October 2012 and all the units started generating in April 2016," Song Huihong, general manager of Nam Ou Hydropower Co., Ltd., told Xinhua.

"The first stage of the project has benefited the socio-economic development of the region. Once the second stage is put into operation, Nam Ou hydropower project will account for over 30 percent of the total installed capacity of Laos," Song said.

"The construction of the project has brought numerous employment opportunities for local residents. The project has generated more than 5,000 jobs, half of which were taken by Lao people," he added.

Rong, an employee at a restaurant outside the construction site, told Xinhua that he wants to use the construction period to earn some more money and help his family. "I will wait to see if they also build an immigrant village like they have done upstream," Rong said.

The reservoir area of the first stage claims the majority of the area of two provinces comprising nearly 10,000 local residents. The PCR has built nine immigrant villages for the relocation of over 1,100 households and fulfilled resettlement compensation and livelihood recovery obligations, and such like.

The Hake immigrant village was built in July 2014 next to the dam site of No. 2 plant. At Hake, as many as 242 households have moved to new villa-style brick houses.

"When I first came here, I saw villagers dressed in rags and walking was their main way to travel. Now, young villagers are paying more attention to their appearance, while many households have bought motorbikes and agricultural vehicles," said Liu Jianlin, who has worked for five years on the first and second stage of the project.

According to Song Huihong, at Hake immigrant village, the PCR has built centralized water supply facilities, electric wire system, schools, temples, clinics, village offices, markets and other public facilities. The company has also organized furniture donation events to help improve residents' living standards.

During the first stage of the project, around 250 kilometers of roads and over 20 bridges and culverts have been built, creating a road network in the village, Song said.

"Previously, the only way to get to the other side of the river was by boat. It was very inconvenient. Now, we have everything at the new village, from electricity to water," 52-year-old villager Bouvon told Xinhua.

She said she has gradually adapted to the new living environment at the immigrant village, saying "Life here is much better. In the past, there were only two or three shops in our village. Now more than a dozen households have opened stores. It is very convenient," she said.

As Buddhism is the primary religion of Laos, the PCR decided to build a big temple in the immigrant village. "The temple is bigger, and people who come for Buddhist practices will feel more comfortable," a 79-year-old women named Pan told Xinhua.

"This place is better than in the mountains, it is easier to find friends and the classrooms are bigger," said a group of children who were playing under a tree.

Before leaving, an 11-year-old girl named Lata told Xinhua, "When I grow up, I will build hydropower plants." Endit