Thailand is negotiating with southwest China's Yunnan Province over taking part in the building of a large hydro-power project, the Nuozhadu Power Station, in the province which has rich hydro-power resources.
The Nuozhadu Power Station will be the largest of its kind on the Lancang River with an installed capacity of 5.5 million kilowatts. To be built in 2006 at an estimated cost of 30 billion yuan (US$3.6 billion), it will be the eighth power station on the Lancang River.
Upon completion, it is expected to transmit three million kilowatts of electricity to energy-short Guangdong Province and 1.5 million kilowatts to Thailand while providing one million kilowatts for Yunnan itself.
Thai power authorities and Yunnan signed an agreement in 2000 for the construction of the Jinghong Power Station, which has an installed capacity of 1.5 million kilowatts. Under the agreement, Thailand will provide 70 percent of the investment needed for the project and the Jinghong Power Station will transmit all its electricity to Thailand when it starts operating in 2004.
(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2002)
