Xeset 1 Dam Hydropower Info - by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Page - - - Home
Xeset 1 Hydropower Plant is located on the Set River in Saravan Province of southern Lao PDR as seen in the image below:
Xeset 1 & 2 hydropower project sites in image below:
Xeset 1 & 2 projects are only 2 km apart at the location seen in image below at coordinates - 15°29'28.6"N 106°16'48.8"E (15.491263, 106.280209):
The Xeset 1 Hydropower Plant is a run-of-river style project on the Xeset (river) with a head of 157 meters. The project has limited storage capacity and energy production can vary with the river flow from day to day.
The Xeset 1 power house has five generating units, three with 13 MW capacity each and two units with 3 MW capacity each for a total installed capacity of 45 MW.
Xeset 1 & 2 Hydropower Projects are connected and share the same flow of water in part coming from the diversion of water from Houay Tapuong and other streams. These diversions pass thru the Xeset 2 powerhouse and then the Xeset 1 powerhouse generating electricity twice as shown in the image below.
The project is 100% owned and operated by EDL GEN and is one of the older hydropower plants in Laos. Since 1991 the project has been supplying electricity to the provinces of Saravan and Champasak in Laos with any surplus exported to Thailand.
Lao government received a loan from ADB, grants from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and support from Sweden (SIDA) and Norwegian Government to finance the project.
Xeset Hydropower Projects map below:
Satellite image view of Xeset 1 & 2 hydro projects layout below:
The Xeset 1 intake pond (head pond) is created by a 10 meter high gravity dam weir. From the intake pond to the power house water is conveyed through underground tunnels, which are partly steel-lined to withstand the high water pressure.
The 45 MW Xeset 1 hydropower project has a small reservoir and low dry-season flow volumes of the Set river have sometimes resulted in low volumes of electricity generation.
The Xeset 2 and Xeset 3 dams nearby are being promoted as a means to increase wet season water storage and flow volumes for Xeset 1 downstream of Xeset 2 & 3. Extra water will enter Xeset 1 reservoir from the Xeset 2 project after being diverted from the Tapoung River into the Xeset 2 project.
All 3 Xeset hydropower projects are located within the Xeset watershed drainage basin.
The upper level dam and reservoir of Xeset 1 & 2 is seen in image below:
Xeset 1 Power Station images below:
Summary of important technical information of Xeset 1 Hydropower Plant
1. Storage:
- Catchment area : 325 sq km
- Reservoir dead storage : 300,000 cubic meters
- Full water level : 482 meters above sea level
- Low water level : 478 meters above sea level
2. Dam
- Height : 10 meters
- Length : 91 meters
3. Operation Discharge System
- Headrace tunnel length : 436 meters
- Headrace tunnel diameter : 3.2 meters
Maximum operation discharge No. 1 or 2 : 2.25 cubic meters per second
Maximum operation discharge No. 3, 4 or 5 : 9.5 cubic meters per second
4. Penstock 430 meters long and 3.2 meter inside diameter
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Project Xe Set 1 Hydropower Plant
Operator EDL-GEN
Commercial Operation 1990
Installed Capacity 45 MW
Turbines 3 x 13 MW Francis - 2 x 3 MW Francis
Catchment 325 sq km
Dam Type Run of River
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Xeset 1 hydropower project is located in mid section of map below:
Xeset 1 Hydropower plant satellite images below at coordinates - 15°30'11.3"N 106°16'37.1"E (15.503140, 106.276975):
Xeset 1 weir below
Xeset River Hydropower map below shows Xeset 1, 2 & 3 hydropower projects in the lower area plus Houay Por project at the top - all on the XeSet (river):
Click to see larger scale version of this map below - Xeset Dams Map Large Scale
Good video for Xeset 1 & 2 projects in English HERE .
NOTE: “Xeset” translates as “Set River”. In Southern Laos "Xe" means “River”. Since “Nam” also means “River” we wouldn’t normally say "Nam Xeset".