THPC, the owner and operator of the Theun-Hinboun hydropower plant, has approved over US$50 million for social and environmental programs to be implemented over the next five years. The funds, allocated by the THPC Board at an end-of-year meeting, mark the company's ongoing commitment to economic and social development along with environmental protection.

Since opening its expansion project in January 2013, THPC's generating capacity has been increased to 500 MW, meaning the company can earn more export revenue and deliver more electricity to businesses and homes in southern and central Laos. From the beginning of the expansion project in 2008, THPC redoubled its efforts to set up practical measures that would assist local people and help conserve the area's nature and beauty. The company has so far spent around US$60 million on a broad range of initiatives.

A significant proportion of that budget was used to build four resettlement villages for families moving out of the Nam Gnouang reservoir area and to relocate the houses of over 4,300 villagers along the Nam Hai River. In addition to improved housing and public facilities such as clinics, schools, roads, electricity and water supply, THPC offers livelihood programs to help people improve agricultural and business opportunities, and has also scaled up social assistance to include nutritional and sanitation components.Environmental programs have continued after completion of project construction. THPC monitors all water bodies in the project area to make sure water standards remain high for local people and the area's wildlife, while partnerships with organizations such as the National Integrated Ecosystem and Wildlife Management Project and the Wildlife Conservation Society help the company contribute to improved biodiversity protection measures in Bolikhamxay and Khammouane.

 For 2014, THPC has approved a budget of US$11.73 million to continue and expand its social and environmental programs. This represents 38% of the company's total operating budget for the year and includes $1.5m for new village roads, $1m for a new irrigation system and $1.6m for further relocation of households away from river flood plains. An additional $40m of social and environmental funds has been approved for the years 2015-2018.

THPC's General Manager, Mr Robert Allen, said the budget showed the company was serious in trying to attain the high standards set at the start of the expansion project. "THPC committed itself to improving the lives of people in the project area, and to ensuring that the company's environmental footprint is minimized. We will keep working towards these ambitious goals until both the company and the government are satisfied we have attained them."

Saravan Province, November 15, 2013.

The Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) has given 10 tonnes of rice towards disaster relief efforts, following the serious floods that occurred in Laos’s southern provinces during October.

THPC Chairman Dr Khammany Inthirath handed over the rice to provincial authorities in Saravan, accompanied by Mr Bounoum Syvanpheng, Chairman of THPC’s major shareholder, EDL-Generation. The rice was received by Deputy Governor of Saravan, Mr Sysouvanh Vongchomsy, for distribution to families badly affected by the flooding.

Mr Khammany said that while residents of the THPC hydropower plant area in Khammouane and Bolikhamxay provinces had mainly been spared bad weather during the recent storms, many communities in the southern provinces had lost much of the rice they had planted and would be dependent on outside help for the next few months.

He said that as a company committed to national development, THPC had heeded the call of the National Disaster Management Committee to help people in the southern provinces. The donated rice, worth over 53 million kip, will be distributed to flood-affected villages in the coming days by provincial authorities.

Vientiane, October 30, 2013.
The Lao Disabled Women’s Centre in Vientiane Capital received a boost in late October with the donation of US$4,500 by the Theun-Hinboun Power Company.

The centre, located near the first Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge, gives training in various skills to about 50 women every year, most of whom are disabled. Women from all over Laos come to live and study at the centre for periods of up to nine months. During this time they can take a variety of courses to develop skills such as sewing, weaving, paper making, small business, computing and Lao or English language.

Established by Madam Chanhpheng Sivila, herself a survivor of a polio infection when she was young, the centre has been open since 2002 and offers practical opportunities for people with disabilities through vocational training and life skills training. The centre was founded on Madam Chanhpheng’s earlier work in founding the Lao Women with Disabilities group, and it continues to advocate for the rights, recognition and equal opportunity of disabled women.

Women training at the centre receive a living stipend and are also given equipment to help them develop business activities when they return to their homes at the end of the course.

The centre relies on donations from the public to cover the majority of its running costs and the THPC General Manager, Mr Robert Allen, said the company was delighted to be able to contribute to the valuable work and continued achievements of the Lao Disabled Women’s Centre.

At the end of September, Managers and Team Leaders from the Theun-Hinboun Power Company’s Operations and Maintenance Division (OMD) became the second group of THPC staff to complete leadership and management training with Vientiane-based firm Enterprise and Development Consultants.

The six-day course was conducted over three separate two-day modules in July and September 2013, with the final session held away from site at a Vientiane hotel.The trainers used short lectures, group discussions, case studies and participant feedback to introduce and explore a variety of management techniques to the staff. The OMD teams were joined by representatives of the Corporate Affairs and Corporate Support Services departments, making a total of 17 THPC personnel benefitting from the company’s policy of upgrading professional skills.

The first module introduced basic concepts of management and leadership, emphasizing that leadership is not defined by a person’s position, but rather by qualities that can be learned and developed. The session also explored concepts such as emotional intelligence and change management, with the trainer providing a simple action plan to for the participants to implement back in their daily jobs. In module 2 the THPC staff then shared how they had applied these lessons in real work situations. This module also featured the topics of “effective teams”, “effective communication”, assertiveness and “feed-backing”. 

Following discussion of the concept and principles of delegation and team coaching, participants came up with individual action plans to improve their leadership and managerial competencies. On their return in module 3, they again shared their experiences in applying these action plans on the job. The final session also provided an opportunity to explore methods of motivation andproblem-solving techniques.

Course evaluation by participants showed most of the trainees found the course good and some thought it excellent. EDC’s trainers meanwhile recommended that participants should keep their learning momentum going by extending their knowledge to others in their departments, and by sharing their progress with Social and Environmental Division colleagues, who have already undertaken the same training.

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