Thakhek, 29 May 2019

The Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) has donated 50 tonnes of rice seed to help people in Hinboun and Khounkham districts who lost crops to flooding during the 2018 wet season.HandOverW

Six districts of Khammouane province, including Khounkham and Hinboun, were particularly badly hit by flooding last year, with heavy seasonal rain exacerbated by tropical storms Son-Tinh and Bebinca. Over 1,150 households in Hinboun and 3,400 families in Khounkham suffered damaged rice fields and lost much of their staple crop.

Emergency aid from the government and international partners helped alleviate immediate problems caused by the floods, but farmers were concerned that with rice seed stocks depleted, they would not be able to plant crops for the 2019 season. THPC therefore responded to a request from Khammouane Province, donating 260 million kip to purchase rice seed for the two districts in its project area.

The Deputy General Manager of THPC, Mr Soulideth Baomanikhoth, officially handed over the donation to Mr Detsackda Manykham, Deputy Director of Khammouane Agriculture and Forestry Department. “THPC has a long-standing partnership with the people of Hinboun and Khounkham, and tries to provide help when needed,” said Mr Soulideth. “Such events affect people’s morale as well as their finances, and if we can share some of their burden then they can more quickly gain the strength to work through natural disasters”.

Mr Somchay Phetsynouan, Deputy Governor of Khammouane Province, described THPC as “a strong development partner in all aspects, which provides assistance whenever we have difficulties. After previous natural flooding disasters, they have given generous support through materials, food and transport for villagers and their belongings".

The floods were a nationwide problem in 2018 noted Mr Soulideth, and THPC has previously contributed 300 million kip to disaster relief efforts in Attapeu. “The people of Hinboun and Khounkham are our family”, he added, “so we are bound together in good times and in times of need”.

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Khounkham, May 24, 2019OldNamHaiBridgeW

Work has begun on a new bridge across the Hai River in Khounkham district, Khammouane, with the Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) responding to local requests for better infrastructure. The new 50-metre long bridge, located near Nakham village on the road to Konglor Cave, will cost over US$800,000 and is expected to be ready for use in June 2020.

The bridge will replace an existing structure installed by THPC in 1996 to aid construction of the first Theun-Hinboun hydropower project. Following completion of that project, the district and provincial governments asked the company to leave the bridge in place as it made crossing the Nam Hai much easier for local people.

Over the last 20 years THPC has funded repairs to the bridge on several occasions as a contribution to the community. However, traffic along the road has increased dramatically in recent years, particularly with the growth of Konglor Cave as a tourist attraction and major contributor to the local economy. The old Bailey-style bridge is no longer fit for purpose and local authorities once more asked THPC for assistance.

THPC’s minority shareholders, GMS Power International and SN Power of Norway, agreed to support the district and local villages by funding the design and construction of a new bridge. THPC is administering their donation while supplying supervision services in partnership with Khammouane Province. The new design will support a double-lane road and pedestrian walkway and will be built just upstream of the existing bridge, requiring construction of over 300 metres of additional road to connect with the existing highway.

Following a tendering process the bridge contract was awarded to a partnership between Road No.8 Construction Enterprise and Tay Truong Son Construction.

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Vientiane, November 8, 2018AwardTHXPNov18 138

The government has acknowledged the contribution of the Theun-Hinboun Hydropower Expansion Project to national development with the award of the Lao PDR Labour Medal (second class).

The project has run smoothly since its inauguration in January 2013, allowing the Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) to substantially increase both its contributions to state revenues and domestic electricity generation.

Deputy Prime Minister Somdy Duangdy presented the award to company representatives at a ceremony in Vientiane on Thursday. At the same time, civil servants from line ministries, provincial and district administrations received awards for their contribution to the success of AwardTHXPNov18 074Deth1the expansion project. These included Dr Khammany Inthirath, Minister of Energy and Mines, who served as chairman of THPC before becoming a minister, and who was also presented with the Labour Medal by Mr Somdy.

According to THPC’s Deputy General Manager, Soulideth Baomanikhoth, by October 2018 THPC had contributed over US$580 million to state coffers. As the majority shareholder in the company, EDL-Generation receives most of the profits from the company, which pays royalties and taxes directly to the government as well as dividends to the owners.

Significantly for the government, the expansion project was 100% funded by cash-flow from the original Theun-Hinboun project, meaning its construction required no extra investment by the government or EDL. During the expansion project THPC has invested over $110 million in social and environmental programmes across Khammouane and Bolikhamxay.

Mr Soulideth thanked the government for the support provided at all levels during the design, construction and operation of the expansion project, noting that the state’s acknowledgment of THPC’s contribution to national development comes at an auspicious time, while the company celebrates 20 years of operation.

 

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Vientiane Times January 28, 2019

Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) held its annual Charity Golf Tournament at the Long Vien Golf Club on Saturday to raise money for the thousands who lost their homes in July’s flood in Attapeu province. More than 60 golfers attended the event. Their efforts and generosity meant the company’s target of 60 million kip was far exceeded, and by the end of the day 100 million kip had been collected for donation to those who suffered in the flood.IMG 0847web

On behalf of THPC’s shareholders - EDL-Gen, SN Power and GMS International - company Chairman and Head of Office at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Dr Daovong Phonekeo, welcomed golfers to the event. He said the tournament gave the various groups involved in Laos’ economic development the chance to meet socially and to strengthen their cooperation.

All of the event expenses were covered by THPC, with each participant contributing 1 million kip to take part in the tournament. All of the money donated by the golfers will be handed over to support ongoing relief efforts in Attapeu province. THPC previously contributed 300 million kip to flood relief efforts in the provinces through the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Disaster Victims Assistance Fund at the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

THPC operates the Theun-Hinboun and Nam Gnouang Powerhouse in Khammuan and Borikhamxay provinces, with a combined capacity of 520MW. THPC is the only independent power producer that is majority Lao-owned and 97 percent of its staff are Lao nationals. The company’s business covers not only power production, but also innovative and wide-ranging social and environmental programnes across five districts in two provinces. THPC has contributed over US$580 million to the state since beginning operations in 1998.GolfAttapeuHandover

Results: Xayying Tongyertor lifted the trophy after seeing off other contenders and coming first in the Overall Low Gross and Low Gross score categories, while Thongsavanh Keokhounying won a cup with first place in the Overall Low Net category.

Note: The 100 million kip raised was handed over to Attapeu provincial authorities on January 31, 2019.

 

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Khounkham, August 3, 2018ScolLaundry

Bounmee Phommalinh loves her job. “I like making beds and folding things – it’s very satisfying”, she beams. Some might think her work, as a house-keeper at guest rooms on the Theun-Hinboun hydropower site in rural Laos, to be limited or unambitious. But 22-year-old Bounmee, a bright and bubbly character, is very enthusiastic.
“There’s many different aspects to a successful guest house”, she explains, “lots of tasks that should be done perfectly. With training, practice, patience and experience you can achieve this, but you have to work hard”.

These are not the words of a casual worker, but the thoughts of a dedicated professional who completed two years of training at the Lao National Institute for Tourism and Hospitality, or Lanith, following a scholarship awarded by the Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC).

From Khounkham district in Khammouane province, the location of the Theun-Hinboun Powerhouse, Bounmee grew up next to the hydropower project, which was under construction when she was born. At the age of ten she enrolled at the Theun-Hinboun Private School, which offers free education to the children of local families. “My family was poor”, recalls Bounmee, “so I was even given uniforms”.

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Bounmee remembers her school days fondly. Having friends who went to other schools, she was able to appreciate the quality of education at the THPC School. “The teachers were good”, she says. “They had a lot of skills, understanding how to transfer their knowledge and let each child develop individually”.

At the age of 18 Bounmee finished her national high-school exams and applied for a THPC vocational scholarship, available for underprivileged children at the company school. She was one of two pupils selected for the award, which offered places at Lanith in the Lao capital, Vientiane.

“I had never been to Vientiane before and was so excited,” she remembers. “There were a lot of new experiences for me, going to a big city so far away.” There were also many challenges, but the scholarship included a monthly stipend from THPC and support from company staff in the capital. They gave Bounmee textbooks and stationery, and knowing that she could always call them if she needed was a great help. She was able to live frugally as a student, saving some of her allowance each month in order to help her family.

At Lanith, Bounmee chose a diploma in Accommodation Operations, including courses in tourism and hospitality, communication and computing skills, English, housekeeping, and business management. She especially enjoyed the housekeeping course, which taught practical skills and provided the opportunity to work and learn alongside fellow students.

In her first year she completed a month’s work experience at a resort in the tourist destination of Vang Vieng, and the next year she was an intern at a high-class hotel in Vientiane. These stints not only taught her about working under real-time pressure, but also paid well.  ScolTowel

The THPC bursary is a tied scholarship, meaning the students are obliged to work two years for the company following their training. Bounmee says she understood this when applying for the scholarship. How does she feel about it now, when she could easily find work in the city? “I’m so happy to work at the THPC camp,” she replies. “My house is nearby and I’ve missed being home. Some other pupils from the school won scholarships at a higher level, to study at university, but they weren’t lucky enough to get jobs with the company”.

The THPC guest house hosts around 170 visitors per month, mainly contractors, government officials and head-office staff coming to site for meetings and work. Bounmee arrives at eight o’clock each morning to meet the manager and team for daily planning. She then works in the laundry, folding and finishing all items washed the previous day before returning them to the guest rooms and cleaning each room.

She works with speed and precision, taking less than ten minutes to turn around each double room with en suite bathroom. Her efficiency makes skilled tasks like bedsheet cornering and towel folding look simple.

ScolSheets

Young and new amidst a team of older women, Bounmee is aware that she has to tread carefully when displaying her skills and voicing opinions. She has ideas on how the guest house systems could be improved but for now is content to lead by example, working hard and leaving each room spotless. “There are many different tasks each day, so it’s interesting”, she says. “If you can make a place clean and welcoming, you make yourself and the guests happy.”

Education has given Bounmee confidence and ambition. “I’ve been given an opportunity to improve myself and earn a steady income,” she says. “Without the THPC School and the scholarship, I would be labouring in rice fields, doing harder work for less income. Now I’m saving money for the future. I want to improve myself and one day run a housekeeping service that trains people and is used by many companies. Maybe then I can offer opportunities to local people, like THPC does”.

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