Nam Khan 2 Dam Hydropower Info by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Page - - - HOME
The Nam Khan 2 dam site is approximately 68 km upstream from from where the Nam Khan joins the Mekong at Luang Prabang. The dam site is near the village of Kengkoung about 30 km Southeast of L. Prabang town (by direct line).
Nam Khan (river) originates in Xiengkhouang Province and is in the mountainous region of Phou Khoun and Xieng Ngeun Districts.
The project has a watershed covering an area of 5,221 sq km.
Nam Khan 2 Dam images below:
Nam Khan 2 hydropower project site image below:
Access to the Project from Luang Prabang is via National Road 13 and a secondary road that runs along the north side of the Nam Khan river to the dam site, about 50 km by road from Luang Prabang town. The plant is 48 km upstream from the Nam Khan 3 plant in Xieng Nguen district of Luang Prabang province.
Nam Khan 2 is shown in the satellite images below - at coordinates 19°40'59.9"N 102°22'05.9"E (19.683311, 102.368294):
Nam Khan 2 and 3 hydropower project locations are shown in the satellite image below.
The project is managed and operated by Electricite du Laos (EDL) and now entirely owned by EDL GEN.
The power plant consists of 2 vertical Francis turbine units at 65 MW each for a combined capacity of 130 MW and may generate up to 558 GWh output per year.
Nam Khan 2 dam was constructed by China’s Sinohydro Corporation pursuant to a $308.5 million commercial (EPC) contract and was in part funded by a $292.6 million preferential buyer’s credit loan from Exim Bank of China.
Construction began on March 26, 2011, an impoundment ceremony took place on April 18, 2015 and the project was ultimately completed on November 28, 2015 with commercial energy generation commencing December 2015.
The dam is a gravity Roller-Compacted Concrete structure 365 meters long and 136 meters high with 4 spillways each 13 meters wide.
The river at the dam site is narrow with steep slopes on the banks. The entire head of 119 meters available for power generator is developed by the dam structure.
The powerhouse and related structures are located on the right bank at the foot of the dam.
The two turbine units are fed individually by an intake and a penstock 147 meters long with 4.1 meter diameter.
Nam Khan 2 powerhouse image below:
The reservoir is less than 1 km wide and has a length of about 60 km upstream along the river.
Full Supply Level of the reservoir at elevation 475 masl (maybe 477) creates a reservoir with a surface area of about 30 sq km and storage for 686 million cubic meters of water with 528 of that as active capacity.
The reservoir will normally be filled to Full Supply Level during the wet season from August to October and be drawn down to Minimum Operating Level (465 masl) near the end of the dry season.
Nam Khan 2 power plant will normally operate during daytime and stop at night. This peaking according to the demand for electricity will depend on the size of the inflow each day and the amount of water stored in the reservoir. Typical peaking operation may be for about 10 to16 hours on a daily basis.
A tailrace channel discharges water from the powerhouse directly back to the Nam Khan and there is no re-regulating pond which means the section of the river just below the powerhouse may have no flow in the dry season when the plant is not operating. Further downstream changes in the water levels will not be so rapid as tributary streams join the Nam Khan.
Image below shows intake structure and the reservoir side of Nam Khan 2 dam structure.
Image below shows the 4 spillway gates of the Nam Khan 2 dam structure.
See nice video of Nam Khan 2 HERE .
Nam Khan 2 turbine inflow tube image below:
Nam Khan 2 radial gates images below.
The project includes a 115kV transmission line that links to a substation in Xieng Ngeun district of Luang Prabang Province, supplying electricity to the northern provinces and Vientiane Capital.
The powerhouse and reservoir are shown in topographic map below:
Nam Khan 2 location is shown in the upper left portion of map below:
The Nam Khan 2 project required that 9 villages be relocated to new residences about 6 km away from the project.
Nam Khan 2 project ststistics below:
