Eight years after the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower dam in Attapeu collapsed, killing dozens and displacing thousands in southern Laos, affected families are set to receive the final round of compensation this month.
The final compensation package will benefit 968 severely affected households across six villages and one settlement in Attapeu Province.
The government expects to complete the payments by the end of September, with a total of LAK 102.6 billion (USD 4.6 million) to be distributed, according to state media reports published on 15 September.
On 14 September, provincial officials met with affected residents to explain the final compensation package. The provincial governor met residents of Samong Mai Pindong Village to discuss the sixth and final round of payments for the disaster, which occurred on 23 July 2018.
Compensation for affected families was divided into six categories covering loss of life, homes, livelihoods, infrastructure, land and personal belongings. The first five categories were paid earlier, while the final category covering personal belongings took longer to assess and finalize.
The final payments cover personal items of value, including jewelry, vehicles and livestock. Provincial authorities and the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy Power Company (PNPC), the company that operates the hydropower project, have now reached an agreement on the final compensation package.
The 2018 Disaster
At around 8 PM on 23 July 2018, Saddle Dam D at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project collapsed following days of heavy rain.
Water rushed into the Xe Pian and Xe Namnoy valleys before flowing downstream toward Sanamxay District. Five villages were destroyed or severely damaged, while 49 people were confirmed dead and 22 remain missing, according to official figures.
More than 6,000 people were displaced by the disaster.
The governor of Attapeu estimated the total damage at more than LAK 1,300 billion, equivalent to around USD 150 million at the 2018 exchange rate.
The disaster also left thousands of people without homes. A project to build 700 new homes for affected families began in June 2020 at a cost of USD 24.5 million. Construction was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and was completed in 2022, leaving some families waiting several years for permanent housing.
The Hydropower Project
The Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project is located on the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos, with the dam and reservoir infrastructure in Champasak Province and the powerhouse and downstream facilities in Attapeu.
The project diverts water from the Houay Makchanh, Xe Pian and Xe Namnoy river systems to generate electricity.
The 410-megawatt project was developed under a 27-year build-operate-transfer concession and had an estimated construction cost of about USD 1.02 billion.
Financial close was reached in February 2014, and construction began later that year. Following the 2018 disaster, damaged structures and associated works were repaired or replaced, and the project began commercial operations on 6 December 2019.
PNPC is the project company and is jointly owned by companies from Laos, Thailand and South Korea. The project generates around 1,879 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, with about 90 percent exported to Thailand and the remaining 10 percent supplied to Laos.
