The development of the Mekong River

The estimated hydropower potential of the lower Mekong Basin (i.e. excluding China) is 30,000 MW, while that of the upper Mekong Basin is 28,930 MW. In the lower Mekong, more than 3,235 MW has been met through facilities built largely over the past ten years, while an additional 3,209 MW are currently under construction. An additional 134 projects are planned for the lower Mekong, which will effectively exhaust the river’s hydropower generating capacity.

The single most significant impact – both now and in the future – on the use of water and its management in the Mekong Region is hydropower.

With development proceeding in the region’s countries, power demands are expected to rise 7% per year over the next 20 years, yielding a substantial – and potentially lucrative - energy market.

Dams already constructed are presented below in Table 4:

Table 4: Commissioned dams in the Mekong River Basin

Project	Country	River	Approx Location	Commissioned	Installed capacity (MW)	Height (m)	Crest length (m)	Active storage (million m3)	Max reservoir area (km2)
Dachaoshan	CHN	Mekong	24°1′27.80″N 100°22′10.77″E / 24.024389°N 100.3696583°E / 24.024389; 100.3696583 (Dachaoshan Dam)	2003	1,350	118	481	367	826
Gongguoqiao	CHN	Mekong	25°36′43.7″N 99°17′45.6″E / 25.612139°N 99.296°E / 25.612139; 99.296 (Gongguoqiao Dam)	2008	750	130		120	343
Jinghong	CHN	Mekong	22°3′6.50″N 100°46′1.96″E / 22.051806°N 100.7672111°E / 22.051806; 100.7672111 (Jinghong Dam)	2010	1,750	118		249	510
Manwan	CHN	Mekong	24°37′19.51″N 100°26′54.76″E / 24.6220861°N 100.4485444°E / 24.6220861; 100.4485444 (Manwan Dam)	1992	1,550	136	418	257	415
Xiaowan	CHN	Mekong	24°42′19.14″N 100°5′28.28″E / 24.7053167°N 100.0911889°E / 24.7053167; 100.0911889 (Xiaowan Dam)	2013	3,600	295	920	9,900	3,712
Houayho	LAO	Houayho/Xekong	15°3′34.17″N 106°45′51.39″E / 15.0594917°N 106.764275°E / 15.0594917; 106.764275 (Houayho Dam)	1999	150	76.5		620
Nam Leuk	LAO	Nam Leuk/Nam Ngum	18°26′16.41″N 102°56′04″E / 18.4378917°N 102.93444°E / 18.4378917; 102.93444 (Nam Leuk Dam)	2000	60	45	800	185
Nam Lik 2	LAO	Nam Lik	18°49′4.63″N 102°7′42.73″E / 18.8179528°N 102.1285361°E / 18.8179528; 102.1285361 (Nam Lik 2 Dam)	100	103	328	8.26	24.4
Nam Ngum 1	LAO	Nam Ngum	18°31′49.82″N 102°32′50.39″E / 18.5305056°N 102.5473306°E / 18.5305056; 102.5473306 (Nam Ngum 1 Dam)	1971	148.7	75	468	7,000	370
Nam Theun 2	LAO	Nam Theun/Xe Bangfai	17°59′50.47″N 104°57′8.30″E / 17.9973528°N 104.952306°E / 17.9973528; 104.952306 (Nam Theun 2 Dam)	2010	1,075	48	325	3,680	450
Theun-Hinboun	LAO	Nam Theun/Nam Hinboun	18°15′39.62″N 104°33′45.09″E / 18.2610056°N 104.562525°E / 18.2610056; 104.562525 (Nam Theun Hinboun Dam)	1998	210			20
Xeset 1	LAO	Xeset	Saravan Province, Lao PDR	1994	45			0.5
Xeset 2	LAO	Xeset	Saravan Province, Lao PDR	2009	76				20
Buon Kuop	VN	Sre Pok	12°31′39″N 107°55′19″E / 12.5275°N 107.92194°E / 12.5275; 107.92194 (Buon Kop Dam)	2009	280				37
Buon Tua Sra	VN	Se San/Kroong Po Ko	12°16′40.66″N 108°2′34.98″E / 12.2779611°N 108.04305°E / 12.2779611; 108.04305 (Buon Tua Srah Dam)	2009	86
Dray Hinh 1	VN	Sre Pok	Dak Lak Province, Viet Nam	1990	12
Dray Hinh 2	VN	Sre Pok	12°40′31.78″N 107°54′13.00″E / 12.6754944°N 107.90361°E / 12.6754944; 107.90361 (Dray Hinh 2 Dam)	2007	16
Plei Krong	VN	Se San/Kroong Po Ko	14°24′41.38″N 107°51′51.48″E / 14.4114944°N 107.8643°E / 14.4114944; 107.8643 (Plei Krong Dam)	2008	100	65	745	162	80
Sesan 3	VN	Sesan	14°13′19.98″N 107°47′43.05″E / 14.2222167°N 107.7952917°E / 14.2222167; 107.7952917 (Sesan 3 Dam)	2006	79		164	6.4
Sesan 3A	VN	Sesan	14°12′55.13″N 107°43′20.15″E / 14.2153139°N 107.7222639°E / 14.2153139; 107.7222639 (Sesan 3A Dam)	2007	96
Sesan 4	VN	Sesan	14°6′23.02″N 107°39′28.08″E / 14.1063944°N 107.6578°E / 14.1063944; 107.6578 (Sesan 4 Dam)	2009	360	60			54
Sre Pok 3	VN	Sre Pok	12°45′2.78″N 107°52′34.32″E / 12.7507722°N 107.8762°E / 12.7507722; 107.8762 (Sre Pok 3 Dam)	2009	220	52.5
Yali Falls	VN	Sesan	14°13′38.93″N 107°49′46.55″E / 14.2274806°N 107.8295972°E / 14.2274806; 107.8295972 (Yali Falls Dam)	2001	720	65	1,460	1,037	64.5
Chulabhorn	THL	Nam Phrom	16°32′10.56″N 101°39′0.13″E / 16.5362667°N 101.6500361°E / 16.5362667; 101.6500361 (Chulabhorn Dam)	1972	40	70	700	188	31
Pak Mun	THL	Mun	15°16′54.82″N 105°28′5.01″E / 15.2818944°N 105.4680583°E / 15.2818944; 105.4680583 (Pak Mun Dam)	1994	136	17	300
Siridhorn	THL	Lam Dom Noi	15°12′22.82″N 105°25′44.96″E / 15.2063389°N 105.4291556°E / 15.2063389; 105.4291556 (Siridhorn Dam)	1971	36	42	940	1967	288
Ubol Ratana	THL	Nam Pong	16°46′31.42″N 102°37′5.97″E / 16.7753944°N 102.618325°E / 16.7753944; 102.618325 (Ubol Ratana Dam)	1966	25.2	35.1	885	2,263	410