9 June 2020

Laos has plans to build a new coal-fired power plant in Sekong province in the southeastern part of the country, raising concerns among local residents and environmental groups who fear damage to area farmland and forests [...].

Permission to carry out the project has been granted to the Singapore-based Evolution Power Investment Corporation (EPIC) working together with a Lao firm, the Khounmixay Bridge and Road Construction and Repair Company [...].

"The company [EPIC] has just gained the concession," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

[...]

The project when completed will cover up to 100 hectares of forested land and will be a coal-fired thermal plant like a plant already built in Xayaburi province's Hongsa district, and will definitely have a local impact, a Lao environmental expert said.

[...]

Health experts say local communities are at risk of cancer, respiratory problems, and birth defects from pollution. Hongsa's construction entailed a land grab that resulted in thousands of villagers losing land with little compensation.

[...]