Monday, June 6, 2011

Dam project announces resettlement plan

June 6, 2011

HCM CITY — The investors of the Lower Se San Hydropower Project No. 2 and the provincial authorities of Stung Treng in Cambodia have announced compensation and resettlement plans for local residents affected by the project.

Located in Se San District, the Lower Se San II hydro-power project, a joint venture between EVN International Joint-Stock Company (EVNI), a subsidiary of Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) and Cambodia's Royal Group, will have a total capacity of 400 MW.

The five-turbine plant will be built with a total investment of more than US$800 million.

At the meeting with provincial leaders in Phnom Penh last Thursday, EVNI representatives presented steps including compensation and resettlement and the establishment of a Compensation and Resettlement Committee (CRC) and a Working Group (WG) led by Cambodian Government officials.

Speaking at the meeting, EVNI Deputy General director Nguyen Thanh Huan said the CRC and WG were expected to become operational in October.

The mayor of Stung Treng Province, Loi Xophat, told Phnom Penh Post the leaders and residents of the province supported the project, which is expected to be licensed by the Cambodian Government later this year.

He said residents in Stung Treng, one of the poorest provinces in Cambodia, believed that once completed, the project would help pave the way for the province's socio-economic development.

Earlier on May 24, the Royal Group announced that it would proceed with its Vietnamese partner on the hydropower project along the Lower Se San River, with construction due to start by the end of the year.

The 400MW Se San Hydropower Plant is expected to enter commercial operations in 2017, said a statement released by the Royal Group last week.

"œThis power generation project will contribute greatly to the continued economic development of Cambodia, ensuring a reliable, moderately priced supply of electricity," said Royal Group Chairman and CEO, Kith Meng, in a statement.

The joint venture is 51 per cent owned by EVNI, with the remainder held by Royal Group, officials said.

The Royal Group said in a statement that project studies had been completed. — VNS

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