TSBP Sekong power station

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TSBP Sekong power station is an announced power station in Lamam, Sekong, Laos. It is also known as formerly CHMC Sekong power station.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
TSBP Sekong power station	Lamam, Sekong, Laos	15.7166, 106.65 (approximate)

The map below shows the approximate location of the power station.

Loading map...

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Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	Start year
Unit 1	announced	coal: unknown	300	unknown	2025 (planned)
Unit 2	announced	coal: unknown	300	unknown	2025 (planned)

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
Unit 1	TSBP Sekong Power and Mineral Co Ltd [100%]	Investment and Hydro Power Consultant Sole Co Ltd
Unit 2	TSBP Sekong Power and Mineral Co Ltd [100%]	Investment and Hydro Power Consultant Sole Co Ltd

Project-level coal details

• Coal source(s): mine-mouth

Background

In March 2016, China National Heavy Machinery Corporation (CHMC) signed an EPC agreement with Electricite du Laos for a Sekong province coal-electricity integration project in Vientiane, capital of Laos. The contract was valued at US$2.1 billion. The project included: a coal mine with the annual raw coal output at 3 million tonnes and a 700 MW pithead plant with two 350 MW units. The project was expected to last 48 months with the loan by the Export-Import Bank of China.

In October 2019, it was reported that Cambodia’s state-owned utility firm Electricite du Cambodge signed a 30-year deal to buy coal power from two producers with a combined capacity of 2,400MW: the 1,800 MW Xekong power station and 600 MW Sekong power station, both situated in Laos’ Sekong province. The two plants will be built in four phases, commissioned from 2024 to 2027; the 600 MW Sekong plant is planned for 2025 or 2026 and will include an associated coal mine.

In February 2021, a senior Lao government official said a 700 MW coal plant – presumably Sekong – will be built in Lamam district by a Chinese company, as yet unnamed, which plans to invest more than US$1 billion in the project. The Chinese company will not build transmission lines but will partner with Electricite du Laos (EDL) in the export of power to Cambodia.

In May 2021, the project management team was reaching out to Hunan Chuxiang Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. to explore the cooperation possibilities.

In June 2022, the project was not listed on the CHMC website. The 700 MW station may be progressing for Electricite du Cambodge under a different authority.

In September 2022, the Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy reportedly approved the exclusive purchase of 600 MW of electricity from TSBP Sekong Power and Mineral Company Limited's Sekong power station.

In October 2022, the project was mentioned (under ownership of TSBP Sekong Power and Mineral Company) in a report on electricity trade among ASEAN countries with a start date of 2025 and an estimated cost of over $1 billion USD.

As of June 2023, details of the proposed plant's further development were unclear, including uncertainty surrounding funding and investment.

In July 2024, the power station was mentioned in reporting related to a conveyor belt construction project designed to export coal mined in Laos to Vietnam. Sekong Province reportedly "has the goal" of developing TSBP Sekong power station, Phonesack Xekong power station, and Sekong power station (EPIC).

Financing

Since the signing in September 2019 of a power purchasing agreement for the project, with estimated construction costs of US$1.7 billion, in October 2019 IJGlobal reported speculation of potential Chinese financial institution involvement in the project.

In September 2020, IJGlobal Reported that the planned financing will be used for a portfolio comprised of a 600MW coal-fired power plant and a coal mine infrastructure. Project development also involves the construction of new transmission lines and sub-stations. The total project cost is around $1.7-2 billion.

Opposition

In October 2021, Bridget McIntosh, country director of EnergyLab Cambodia, argued that by damping economic activity and the growth in demand for power, the pandemic had given Phnom Penh the chance to rethink its strategy – particularly plans to import 2.4 GW of coal power from Laos. "If the 2,400MW of coal imported from Laos will struggle to get finance now, wouldn't it be better to invest in solar and wind in Cambodia?" she said. "It would result in billions of dollars of investment, local green jobs and much needed economic stimulus."

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.