Nam Peun (Nam Pern) Dam Hydropower Info by Hobo Maps - Go to Hydropower Projects Page - - Home
Nam Peun 1 hydropower site is located on the Nam Peun (river) in Houameuang District of Houaphan Province about 3 km north of Ban Sop Peun village (where the Nam Peun joins the Nam Neun river).
Nam Peun 1 hydropower project powerhouse is the blue-roof building on satellite image below:
Caution - We see 5 different names for Nam Peun hydropower projects on the web including Nam Peun (28 MW), Nam Peun 1 (27 MW), Nam Peun 2 (12 MW), Nam Peun 1-2 and Nam Pern. Much info on the web is old, outdated and confusing.
The Nam Peun (river) is a tributary of the Nam Neun (river) in northern Lao PDR. Click to see our - Satellite view map of Nam Peun river.
On satellite images of the Nam Peun (river) we can see an upriver dam and head pond that may be an intake source for an underground tunnel taking water down to the blue-roof powerhouse building.
Nam Peun 1 powerhouse and lower section of Nam Peun river shown on satellite image below:
Nam Peun 1 head pond in upper right of image below is at coordinates - 20°00'26.4"N 103°56'30.7"E (20.007333, 103.941861)
Nam Peun 1 powerhouse images below at coordinates - 19°58'45.0"N 103°53'32.0"E (19.979167, 103.892222).
Nam Peun 1 hydropower project was developed by Nam Peun 1 Power Company Ltd. and by Phongsubthavy Group.
The Nam Peun 1 facility has 3 horizontal Francis turbines rated at 9.7 MW each for total generating capacity of 29.1 MW.
The power plant was finished and commissioned in 2018.
The project has a head of 114 meters. The final road to the project has steep grades of up to 18% incline making access to the remote site difficult.
The Nam Peun 1 power house satellite image below shows the Nam Peun (river) with almost no flow in the river channel above the blue-roof powerhouse building and a nice flow out from the building which makes it seem that water for the turbines enters the powerhouse from an underground conduit of some sort. This intake may be on the Nam Peun further upstream of the power house.
The Nam Peun river ends as it joins the Nam Neun about 26 km southeast of Ban Sop Lao as shown below:
Nam Peun 1 powerhouse turbines below:
Nam Peun 1 transmission switchyard facility image below:
Nam Peun dam/weir images below:
Nam Peun 1 construction site images below taken in 2016 & 2017.
Topographic map below shows Nam Peun river in upper right plus unrelated Nam Neun 1 & 3 hydropower projects.
A Vientiane Times news report in Dec. 2020 indicates the Nam Neun projects plan to start exporting their power output to Vietnam in 2024 & 2025. Since the Nam Peun Dam is very close to the Nam Neun dams which are close to the transmission lines for Nam Sam group (that export power to Nong Cong Vietnam) we are guessing the Nam Peun output lines may connect to the Nam Neun projects as shown in the map below. See enlarged version HERE.
Old Nam Peun 2 (Nam Pern 2) info below according to "Houaphan-Drivers-of-Deforestation-Report.pdf" dated August 2015 and Prepared by Wildlife Conservation Society Lao PDR Program:
"Nam Pern 2 HPP is to be located near Pa Kung village, Houameuang District, Houaphan Province and will use existing water flow pressure and not require a reservoir. The installation of the machine head and road construction to the project site is under way, and will directly impact rice paddy land. As reported by the province, the installed capacity will be 7.3 MW, which is lower than the statistic reported from other sources."