Nam Mo 1 Dam Hydropower info by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Page - - - HOME

The Nam Mo (river) originates in eastern Xieng Khouang province and flows in a circular manner to the Vietnam-Laos border where it continues alongside the border line for a few kilometers before flowing eastward within Vietnam and eventually becoming a main tributary of the Ca River.

On the Laos side, the Nam Mo 1 and Nam Mo 2 hydropower projects are under construction while a Nam Mo 1 hydropower project also exists on the Vietnamese side. A confusing situation having two hydropower dam projects with the same name of Nam Mo 1 on the same river not far apart.

This web page concerns the Nam Mo 1 hydropower project on the Lao PDR side. See our separate web page for the Nam Mo 2 hydropower project in Laos HERE. Neither of these web pages has any information about the Nam Mo 1 project in Vietnam.

Nam Mo 1 & 2 Dam locations shown in image below:

The Nam Mo 1 & 2 Hydropower projects in Laos are developed by Lao-based Phongsupthavy Group. Vietnam-based SCI Group might be involved in the construction at Nam Mo 1 as EPC contractor.

Lao-based Xaysana Energy lists Nam Mo 1 HPP as one of its projects on their website page in 2025 but doesn't provide any status or details - https://xaysanaenergy.com/ .

The Nam Mo 1 Reservoir is along the blue line on the satellite image below. It shows the western end of the reservoir for the Nam Mo 1 hydropower project within Vietnam which is further into Vietnam and not shown on the image.

Red line in image below shows the Nam Mo river within Laos. The Nam Mo 1 Dam in Laos is about 18 km upriver (southwest) from where it reaches the border with Vietnam.

The Nam Mo 1 project is designed as 60 MW capacity. The plan is for some or all of this output to be exported to Vietnam pursuant to a cooperation agreement with the government of Vietnam signed in 2021.

Nam Mo 1 dam location shown in images below at coordinates - 19°12'51.1"N 103°51'03.4"E (19.214190, 103.850954) near Den Muang town.

Unconfirmed design details for Nam Mo 1 project have a concrete dam structure 18 meters high and 91 meters long, a 5.4 km long drainage tunnel and Francis style 3-blade turbines. Design gravity flow rate is estimated at 65 cubic meters per second.

Nam Mo Dams 1 & 2 terrain map below shows locations of project sites.

Nam Mo 1 project layout maps below

School yard (see arrow) near the Nam Mo 1 diversion is at elevation 428 meters above sea level and may be impacted by the hydropower project.

Nam Mo 1 concept image below:

Nam Mo 1 hydropower project is one of 11 hydropower plants being developed by Phongsupthavy Group to sell electricity to Vietnam through a 220 kV transmission line to Nam Mo - Tuong Duong (Nghe An) invested by Phongsupthavy Group for the section in Laos and Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN) for the section in Vietnam. The transmission line was completed and energized in May 2023 and will need to be synchronized with the Vietnamese grid.

In year 2024 Nam Mo 2 HPP had a signed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Vietnam to take its output while Nam Mo 1 only has a Memorandum of Understanding for export to Vietnam.

Nam Mo 1 & 2 projects are on transmission line image below for power export to Vietnam.

The chart below shows about 100 km distance of transmission line from Nam Mo 2 station to Tuong Duong station in Vietnam.

Map below has old info from early long-term planning.

Nam Sam - Nong Cong transmission line image below.

Nam Mo 1 connects to transmission line for export to Vietnam in map below. See enlarged version HERE.

An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the Nam Mo 1 hydropower project has been assigned to be prepared by Hanoi Construction Investment Trading and Technology Joint Stock Company (Vietnamese). The study is to identify potential impacts of the hydropower project on the assets, land use and livelihoods of residents of six villages in Xieng Khouang province Laos (Ban Na Khorne, Ban Xieng Men, Ban Nam One, Ban Mor, Ban Nam Yiem/Nam Xong and Ban Nam Ngat) impacted by the reservoir created by the Nam Mo 1 hydropower project in Vietnam - . Compensation costs are to be studied as well.

The governments of Vietnam and Lao PDR entered into a Memorandum of Understanding agreement in 2016 that sets forth the understanding and cooperation of the two countries to develop the Nam Mo river hydropower projects that have cross-border impacts. Nam Mo 1 HPP is under construction in Laos and another Nam Mo 1 with same spelling is completed and operating in Vietnam.