Nam Khan 3 Dam Hydropower Info by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Page - - - HOME

Nam Khan 3 Hydropower project is the most downstream site of the three hydropower projects on the main stream of the Nam Khan River. Nam Khan 3 is located between the villages of Ban Donmoh and Ban Khonwai, Xieng Ngeun district, Luang Prabang Province.

The dam site is accessible on a road that begins at the junction with National Road 13 near the km 362 marker. It is about 54 km by road between Nam Khan 2 & 3 dams and 25 km by river.

Nam Khan 3 Dam images below:

The tunnel in lower right part of image below is for the Lao-China Railway and is not part of Nam Khan 3 hydropower project.

View of Nam Khan 3 plant from railway train window Sept. 2023 just before entering the tunnel.

Both Nam Khan 2 and Nam Khan 3 hydropower plants have been constructed in the Nam Khan (river) and are owned, operated and managed by Electricite du Lao-Generation public company - EDL GEN. Both projects are connected to the Luang Prabang 2nd substation in Xieng Nguen district northern Lao PDR.

Nam Khan 2 and 3 hydropower project locations are shown in the satellite image below (as of year 2023 there still is no Nam Khan 1 project):

Nam Khan 3 Dam location below closer view.

The Nam Khan (river) originates in Houaphan Province, Lao PDR and flows into the Mekong River at Luang Prabang. The Nam Khan river basin catchment area covers about 7000 sq km.

Nam Khan 3 project shown below at coordinates 19°44'48.9"N 102°13'19.0"E (19.746910, 102.221950):

The Nam Khan 3 hydropower facility went into operation in 2016 and is owned by EDL GEN. The project was constructed by China’s Sinohydro Corporation. The cost was about US$ 133 million financed in large part by a loan from China's Exim Bank.

The project has two Francis turbines of 30 MW each for total capacity of 60 MW and 240 GWh annual output potential.

See a nice EDL video of Nam Khan 3 HERE .

Nam Khan 3 Powerhouse images below:

The Nam Khan 3 reservoir extends about 24 km upriver and at Full Supply Level the surface is at 349 meters above mean sea level while at Minimum Supply Level the surface is at 343 meters above mean sea level. The normal river water level in the downstream tailrace area just below the dam structure is 306.7 meters above sea level.

The concrete gravity dam structure is 154 meters long & 67 meters high with a 3 channel spillway.

The penstock has a 4.3 meter diameter

The project required that 10 villages be resettled into 655 new homes away from the project site.

Nam Khan 3 stats shown in colored part of chart below.

Nam Khan 3 location can be seen in the upper left corner of map below.

Images below of Nam Khan 3 project under construction