Nam Ao-Nam Pot Hydropower Info by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Web Page - - - HOME

The Nam Ao-Nam Pot Hydropower project is located near the junction of the Nam Pot and Nam Siam (rivers) near Ban Pha village, Phaxay District, Xieng Khouang Province, northern Lao PDR.

The project is sometimes referred to as the Nam Ao (Nam Aow) project and other times as the Nam Pot project - we combine both names for reference.

Nam Ao-Nam Pot Dam and Reservoir location coordinates - 19°09'39.0"N 103°17'01.0"E (19.160833, 103.283611) - on satellite image below:

Nam Pot is a tributary of the Nam Siam that merges into the Nam Ngiep which joins the Mekong River near Paksan, Laos. No idea where the Nam Ao river might be.

Nam Ao-Nam Pot Dam & Reservoir satellite image below:

The project was studied by Knight Piesold in 1997. A development mandate was awarded to VKS of India but the project became inactive and was cancelled.

A Lao-based entity Bothong Inter Company Ltd. took over the US$ 30 million project and started construction in October 2015. The project was delayed in 2017 by a flooding accident. The Project may be very near completion in 2024.

The project is being undertaken by a privately-owned company and managed by local investors.

Electricity generated is planned to be sold to Electricite du Laos (EDL).

The dam structure and reservoir are located 3.5 km upstream from the joining of the Nam Pot river with the Nam Siam river. Downstream of the dam and reservoir, the Nam Pot falls 700 meters in elevation over a distance of 3.5 km.

Upstream of the dam the Nam Pot river flows in a shallow wide-bottomed channel. The area inundated by the reservoir is small and confined in a narrow valley.

This project has 15 MW installed capacity with about 700 meters head.

Nam Ao-Nam Pot powerhouse location coordinates - 19°08'15.0"N 103°17'17.0"E (19.137500, 103.288056) - on satellite images below:

Reservoir surface full supply level is at 1,140 meters above sea level while minimum operating level is at 1,127 meters above sea level.

Nam Ao-Nam Pot hydropower project layout image below:

Nam Pot & Nam Ngiep 2 area map below shows both powerhouses only 2 km distance apart on the Nam Siam river:

On Sept. 11, 2017 while under construction and during heavy rains, a subsidiary dam broke and floodwaters raced into the Nam Ao-Nam Pot powerhouse construction site doing extensive damage. The flood also caused damage to the downriver Nam Ngiep 2 hydropower project and to National Road 1D causing its closure. 8 villages and agricultural lands were also flooded.

At the timeof the disaster construction of the project was reported to be 85% complete.

Image below and video of the flood near the construction site can be seen.

Nam Pot Hyropower project planning details below from a 2004 preliminary study document that is not reliable.