Nam Neun Dams 1 & 3 Hydropower Info - by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Page - - - HOME

Nam Neun 1 & 3 hydropower projects have been called Nam Nern 1 & 3 in the past. There was also a Nam Neun 2 project planned but cancelled due to a negative impact study.

It seems that Nam Neun 3 project is not progressing and may be inactive. See some older info at bottom of this web page.

The Nam Neun 1 project has a long history with changes in ownership and developers as described in detail below. In 2025 the project is in full construction mode and expected to be completed in 2028 with the output to be sold and exported to Vietnam.

The owner of Nam Neun 1 project is Nam Neun 1 Hydropower Sole Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Lao-based ST Group.

Development of the project is headed by Construction Joint Stock Company 47 and Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 3 (both Vietnam-based).

Nam Neun 1 hydropower project is located near Phiang Hong Mountain Village, Muang Nonghet District, Xieng Khouang Province, Lao PDR about 7 km from the Vietnam border.

Nam Neun 1 location coordinates are 19°42'29.6"N 104°01'25.7"E  (19.708227, 104.023802) as shown in the satellite image below.

The Nam Neun River originates at Houayma Nua village in Houaphanh Province and flows southeast to meet the Nam Mat at Ban Phianghong, then joins the Nam Ka River at the Vietnam border and finally flows into Vietnam where it is called the Song Ca (river).

Nam Neun 1 hydropower project location shown on topographic maps below:

Not sure why topo map below has 1A & 1B dams labelled. Maybe an old planning map later changed.

The water catchment area for Nam Neun 1 is 3,764 square kilometers with the reservoir covering an area of 17 square kilometers when full supply level is 435 meters above mean sea level. The project has a design head of 111 meters.

The project has two turbine-generator units of 64 MW each for a combined capacity of 124 MW and annual production capacity of 576 GWh per year. 

Nam Neun 1 construction cost is expected to be about US $360 million.

The project is expected to generate as much as US $91.2 million in royalties and profit to the state during the concession period. Now not clear how long the concession period will be but probably will be between 25 and 30 years.

The project includes main dam, open spillway, rolling weirs, diversion tunnels, water intakes, power plant and power distribution facilities.

The concrete dam will be 520 meters long and 133 meters high.

Concept image below shows what Nam Neun 1 project may look like.

The project is expected to complete a grid connection in the fourth quarter of 2027 and begin exporting electricity to Vietnam in 2028.

On June 28, 2021 a formal Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was signed with Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) for sale and export of Nam Neun 1 project's output. Under Vietnam's five-year pricing mechanism the purchase price would be about US$ .065 per kilowatt hour until 2031.

A 33 km-long 110 kV new transmission line is planned to connect the Nam Neun 1 hydropower plant to the Nam Yeuang Cascade hydropower project’s power station. From there, a 220 kV transmission line may transfer power to join the output from the Nam Sam projects and across the border to Nong Cong power station in Vietnam as shown in the map below. See enlarged version HERE.

Construction site images below as of year 2024.

Diversion tunnel exits at lower left of construction site image below.

Nam Neun 1 EPC Contractor - Construction Joint Stock Company 47 (HOSE: C47) staff review core samples below in the early planning phase:

The project website in early 2025 had the following directions for driving to Nam Neun 1 project site - "Road access to the dam site starting from Muong Kham district on Highway 7 about 70 km to Nong Het village is relatively good even though it is partially under construction. Then, it passes through Nong Het for about 7 km and turn left to 35 km of unpaved roads leading to Phianghong village. And then a boat should be used to reach the river, a distance of 8 km at which the proposed dam site cannot be reached by vehicle."

Nam Neun 1 & 3 Projects History below - some of these agreements were later changed or replaced and cannot be relied on as still active.

On 8 October 2009 a memorandum of understanding granted permission for Indo China Consulting Co Ltd. to carry out a feasibility study for the Nam Neun 1 & 3 hydropower projects.

On 22 May 2014 a project development agreement (PDA) was signed. Not sure what happened next but it seems that Indo China Consulting Co Ltd. is no longer involved with the project.

On 28 September 2015 the Department of Energy Policy and Planning, Ministry of Energy and Mines issued a Letter of Final Approval.

On 8 December 2015 a Certificate on Environment Management of the Project was issued.

Around the year 2016 Vangsub Development and Investment Co. Ltd. and THB Group Sole Co. Ltd. created a joint venture to develop both the Nam Neun 1 and 3 hydropower plants in Xieng Khouang and Houaphan Provinces with a completion date projected for 2022.

On 30 July 2018 a Project Development Agreement (PDA) was signed. This agreement was later extended 3 times.

In June 2021 a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was agreed with the Government of Viet Nam. Some details of the PPA were still being negotiated while documents were signed for SCADA contract, Protection & Communication System Contract, Metering Contract and Inter Connection System Contract.

On 27 August 2021 an extension of the certificate on Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) was issued.

On 29 Novemebr 2023, Phongsupthavy Group Sole Co., Ltd., signed and awarded an EPC contract to a consortium of Vietnam-based contractors, headed by Construction Joint Stock Company 47 and Power Construction Consulting Joint Stock Company 3 for the design, supply, installation of hydraulic mechanical equipment and construction of Nam Neun 1 Hydropower project.

On 19 June 2024 a Concession Agreement (CA) was signed by Government of Lao with Nam Neun 1 Hydropower Sole Co., Ltd .

On 11 July 2024 an Engineering Procurement and Construction contract (EPC) was signed by Nam Neun 1 Hydropower Sole Co. Ltd with Construction Joint Stock Company 47 and Power Engineering Consultant Joint Stock Company 3.

Also on July 11, 2024, Nam Neun 1 Hydropower Sole Co., Ltd. (Project Owner & a subsidiary of ST Group.) and a Contractor Consortium, headed by Construction Joint Stock Company 47 and Power Engineering Consulting Joint Stock Company 3) entered into and signed a novation EPC Contract for Nam Neun 1 Hydropower Project, with total value of USD $184,999,999. A novation is an agreement that allows the substitution of a new contracting party for an existing one.

In June 2025 construction of Nam Neun 1 was in full progress. Compiled by Hobo Maps.

Groundbreaking ceremony 29 April 2025 below:

In 2025 it seems the Nam Neun 3 project is not progressing and may be inactive.

The Nam Neun 3 hydropower plant was planned to be built in Houaphan Province and would have an installed capacity of 60 MW with annual production capacityof 250 GWh. The water catchment area is 1,400 square kilometers while the reservoir surface area would be 12 square kilometers.The dam would be 340 meters long and 110 meters high. The transmission grid is to carry 115 kV over 5 km from the Khokhin substation.

Nam Neun 3 project is located at coordinates 20°01'05.8"N 103°48'59.8"E  (20.018273, 103.816601) as shown in old satellite image below with no visible activity:

The Nam Neun 3 US $140 million project was planned to include a 340 meter long and 110 meter high dam, a power house, substations, access roads, transformers, turbines and generators.

Laos Ministry of Energy and Mines and Indochina Consulting Co Ltd. were to jointly undertake the construction of Nam Neun 3 hydroelectric power plant in Houaphanh Province, Lao PDR.

On October 8, 2009, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the Minister of Planning and Investment and Indochina Consulting Company.

On August 26, 2014, a power development agreement (PDA) was signed between the government of Laos and Indochina Consulting Company.

In May 2016, THB Group Sole Co. Ltd. and Vangsup Development and Investment Co. Ltd. were appointed as general contractors. Construction was originally expected to be completed in 2022.

Not sure what has happened after 2016. In 2025 it seems the Nam Neun 3 project is not progressing and may be inactive.

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Nam Neun / Nam Ca watershed map below:

The Nam Neun/Song Ca watershed basin is adjacent to the Ma River Basin. The Nam Neun river begins on Mount Muong in the Northern Annamite Range of Lao PDR and then flows into Viet Nam, where it is known as the Song Ca. Its mainstream flows about 531 km to its mouth in Viet Nam’s Nghe An Province where it flows into the South China Sea.

The Nam Neun/Song Ca basin covers 27,200 square km, 65% of which lies in Viet Nam and 35% in Laos where it is distributed between the provinces of Huaphanh and Xieng Khouang, while in Viet Nam its territory is distributed across Thanh Ha, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh provinces.