一般紙では得られないニュース，
特に，国際協力・河川開発・電力開発・モーバイル，の
分野で公共の報道の中で，特に注目すべきものを選んでここに収録します。
スタート時点は１９９７年６月２０日です。
971108 三峡ダム，河川切替成功 （現在整理中）
971104 World Bank Green Light for Nam Theun 2
971027 Japan's Mitsui, Toshiba To Build Power Plant In Nepal
971026 China on Sunday began blocking the Yellow River
971015 China to block Yangtze river in November
971013 Philippines/Napocor/Marubeni -2/ 25-Year Contract
971010 １９９７年９月のイスタンブール会議をめぐって
971006 ラオスの電力セクターにおける主たる論点
970918 Vietnam has hand-picked a Russian hydropower project design company
970912 China, Thailand to jointlybuild hydropower
station
970818 China builds another hydro-power project in border provinc
970819 三峡ダム建設は、事業主体の「中国長江三峡工程開発総公司」が
970815 Japanese manufacturers lose bid to install sanxia dam generators
970716 ndonesia to Have Nuclear
Power Plant by 2003
970714 Laos renews appeal for planned
dam
970707 Laos confident World Bank will accept its loan request
970703 Electricity from Burma Thailand
will sign
970702 Australia's Downer set to build bridges in Vietnam
970630 Ministers to focus on ways
to boost trade
970626 黄河のダム建設と上海の発電所計画
970624 Cofferdam collapse not serious, say Taib,
Bakun Dam
970623 Mobil offers to turn BNPP into
gas-fired plant
970620 Power production increases
in Myanmar
970620 EGAT to buy Laotian power until
2006
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 20:29:01 -0800 From: patrick@irn.org (Patrick McCully)
Errors-To: owner-irn-mekong@igc.org To: irn-mekong@igc.org
PRESS RELEASE 4 November 1997
Aviva Imhof Mekong Program Coordinator Tel: + 61 2 9387 5210
The World Bank is to prepare a package of loans and guarantees for the
controversial Nam Theun 2 hydropower project in Laos. The decision was
made at the end of last week despite the recent economic crash in Thailand
- the sole customer for the dam's electricity.
Reduced projections of future power demand in Thailand make it extremely
uncertain that the Thai electricity utility will buy Nam Theun 2 power
at an attractive price.
Aviva Imhof, Mekong Program Coordinator for International Rivers Network,
says: "In the midst of South-East Asia's economic crisis it is foolish
for the Bank to push ahead with this highly risky project. It is very likely
that it will not produce its expected benefits. The main risks are that
the government of Laos will be further indebted and the livelihoods of
thousands of local people destroyed." The consortium which hopes to
build and operate the 681 MW dam is led by Australian construction company
Transfield and Electricit?de France. They have stated that they will withdraw
if the World Bank does not guarantee their investments against actions
which may be taken by the Lao government. The proposed financing package
for the dam is expected to be submitted for approval by the Bank's board
in mid-1998. Predictions of the economic benefits of the dam have been
steadily decreasing since the Bank first recommended it be built back in
1991. At that time it was estimated that the dam would bring in annual
revenue to Laos of $176 million. The latest Bank-commissioned economic
impact study, however, puts the benefit to Laos at under $33 million annually.
Independent experts believe that even this figure is likely to be highly
optimistic. The Thai utility EGAT has not yet agreed to buy the power from
Nam Theun 2. The Thailand Load Forecast Committee last month sharply cut
its power demand projections for the period 1997-2011. According to Thailand's
National Energy Policy Office, Nam Theun 2 is not on EGAT's latest power
development plan. Nam Theun 2 could be left without a buyer for its power
or be forced to sell the power at a price too low to repay its huge construction
cost. "Nam Theun 2 has sucked in a huge amount of human and financial
resources, depleting the Lao government's already weak capacity to deal
with its development needs. The Bank should surely understand by now that
promoting megaprojects in poor and indebted countries is a recipe for economic
and environmental disaster," Ms Imhof concluded. For further information,
please contact: Aviva Imhof + 61 2 9387 5210 (w) or 9955 5940 (h) (Sydney,
Australia) aviva@irn.org
ＮＧＯ側からの未確認情報である。
一般には，ラオスのナムテン２水力計画（約６８万ＫＷ）への世銀支援の決定は，来年にずれ込むものと思われていたが，予想外の速さで結論が出そうである。世銀は，あれだけ中国やインドを中心に多額のダム借款をしておきながら，ラオスは駄目，とは言えないであろう，という予測をしてはいたが，決定はぎりぎりまで延ばされるものと思っていた。今後更に議論を呼ぶものと思われるが，貧困国にはダム開発を許してよし，との基本的な考え方に基づいた上での，個別地点への環境影響要素の考慮の結果であろう。
公式な発表を待ちたい。
>Reuter copyright!
> >BEIJING (Reuters) - China's cabinet has
>approved a proposal to block the Yangtze River
>on November 8 for construction of the world's
>largest water control project, the Xinhua news
>agency said on Tuesday.
>
>Xinhua quoted Premier Li Peng as saying the
>giant Three Gorges dam project had proceeded
>smoothly in the past five years, the design for
>blocking the river was feasible and the
>resettlement of local residents had gone well.
>
>A canal built to permit navigation on the
>Yangtze after the river is blocked was due to
>open to traffic in October, state media has
>said.
>
>The dam, scheduled for completion in 2009,
>would create a gigantic reservoir on the middle
>of the Yangtze -- China's longest river --
>evicting one million local residents.
>
>Critics of the controversial project say an
>earthquake caused by the concentrated weight
>of silt and water behind the dam could burst
>the dam and lead to a catastrophic flood
>wiping out thousands of towns and villages.
>
>(c) Reuters Limited 1997
>--
三峡ダムの工事が順調に進んでいるようだ。予定されたように，１１月８日に河川の切り替えを実施することを政府が決定したとの報道である。この切り替えのために１０万人（全体では１３０万人）の移住が必要とされていたが，これも順調に終了した，とも述べている。河川の切り替えの１１月８日には，世界の報道合戦となることが予想され，更に情報がもたらせられるであろう。
記事の中に，溜まった水の重さで地震が起き，ダムが崩壊する危険がある，と報じているが，何と乱暴な議論であろうか。このようなルーマーのような話をもとに，発展途上国にどうしても必要な大規模プロジェクトが葬られて行くことは，残念である。
渇水で電力不足に陥り計画停電実施中のアディスアベバにて
October 13, 1997 Nikkei English News via Individual Inc. :
MANILA (Dow Jones)--The Philippines' National Power Corp. or Napocor and
a consortium led by Japan's Marubeni Corp. (J.MRB) will sign an agreement
Saturday on Napocor's purchase of electricity from the hydroelectric power
plant the consortium is building in Pangasinan, a province north of Manila,
according to a press release issued Friday by Napocor.
The 25-year contract requires Napocor to buy the electric output of the
345-megawatt power plant at a reference rate of 2.98 pesos ($1 = 33.141
pesos) per kilowatt-hour, starting in 2004 when the facility begins operation.
Marubeni, together with its partners the local unit of U.S.-based Sithe
Energies Inc. and Italian-Thai Development PCL, is spending $1.1 billion
to build the hydroelectric dam. The facility will also irrigate around
87,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Aside from assuring a market for the facility, the contract also requires
Napocor to disburse to the Marubeni consortium, over a three-year period,
financing totalling $400 million. The money represents Napocor's share
in the cost of the non-power components of the project. Marubeni broke
ground for the multi-purpose facility on May 2. The project involves construction
of a 200-meter-high dam that can hold 850 million cubic meters of water,
three 115-megawatt power stations and more than nine kilometers of 230-kilovolt
transmission lines.
(END)
丸紅が中心となって，SitheEnergies とイタタイが参加し，マニラの北のパンガシナ州に３４５MWの水力発電所を建設（具体的な地点名については調査中），NAPCORに売電するもので，総額11億ドル，２００４年運転開始としている。ダムの高さは２００ｍで貯水池容量は８.５億トン，売電単価はKWh当たり約９セント（これに比べてタイとラオスの交渉値はなんとも低い）と報じられている。
丸紅は，従来より電力への民間投資に熱心で，タイやミャンマーでも盛んに動いている。先日東京電力が中国のIPPに名乗りをあげたとの報道があったが，通産省の主導するアジアの電力セクターへの民間投資の意欲が，益々本格的となってきた感じである。アジアの経済危機を乗り越えて，今後もこの種の計画が具体化することを歓迎する。
今回の計画の特徴は，ダム計画が灌漑目的を含んでいることであり，現地の電力公社であるNAPCORが一部出資して，自ら計画の一端を担って行こうとしている点である。この手法はラオスにも通ずるものである。
ローマのホテル，アルデコにて （１９９７年１０月１４日）
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 16:25:17 -0800 From: patrick@irn.org (Patrick McCully)
Errors-To: owner-irn-mekong@igc.org
To: irn-mekong@igc.org
>>Vietnam Investment Review 15-21 September 1997
> >By Pham Ngoc Phu
> >Vietnam has hand-picked a Russian hydropower project design company
to carry
>out the feasibility study for the country's largest ever hydropower
project
>in Son La province.
> >The Moscow-based Designing Survey Research and Production Shareholding
>Company, who previously completed a similar job for the Hoa Binh hydropower
>plant, has been handed the contract.
> >The Russians got the prestigious contract because "they are
familiar with
>the area, have a lot of experience in hydropower projects worldwide
and in
>Vietnam and, most important of all, their price is affordable"
said engineer
>Nguyen Thai An, spokesman for the Son La Hydropower Management Board.
> >The total cost for the study is $675,000, and it will be a joint
cooperation
>between Russian and Vietnamese power experts. A further $100,000 has
been
>added to the contract price which will be used for travel and station
>facilities.
> >The feasibility study is expected to be finished by the end of
next year.
>Energy experts revealed that the whole project will take at east a
decade to
>come into fruition, if all goes according to plan. Construction on
the Son
>La Hydropower Plant is scheduled to start in late 1999 and should be
able to
>begin supplying electricity by 2010.
> >The Government has not said where it will find the estimated $3.6
billion
>(VND40,000 billion) needed for the construction of Son La Hydropower
Plant.
>A number of financial institutions, including the World Bank, have
been
>approached for possible funding, but so far no commitment has been
made.
> >The more difficult task, according to Vu Duc Thin, Chairman of
the project's
>management board, is to move and resettle residents of Son La and Lai
Chau
>provinces. > >Disastrous consequences of unfair compensation
and resident resettlement
>which followed the construction of Hoa Binh hydropower plant a decade
ago
>have left officials wary of making the same mistakes.
> >Earlier this year, the Son La Hydropower project management board
organised
>a trip for delegates from Son La to the Yaly hydropower project's
>resettlement area in the central highlands to show them how to better
>conduct the process.
> >If construction does go ahead, some 80,000 people, mostly ethnic
minorities,
>will have to move out to make way for the state-of-the-art power plant.
> >Deputy Prime Minister Tran Duc Luong, in his approval of the development
>plant early this month, singled out Son La hydropower project as a
must for
>development. "We have to prepare everything in advance for the
Son La
>hydropower project. The precise date and time as well as amount of
work to
>be done will be decided by the Prime Minister once he sees the feasibility
>study," he said.
> >ENDS
ベトナムが，長い間日本に期待してきたソンラ水力計画の開発調査について，遂にロシアに頼ることに決めたとのニュースである。
200万KW以上の大きな規模と，12万人に達する少数民族を含む水没移住を伴うことから，日本としても手も足も出せなかった，と言うのが正直なところであろう。一時，規模を下げた計画で何とか助けてあげては，との考え方もあったと聞くが，ベトナム政府はあくまで大きな規模に拘ったようである。確かに，規模を下げてしまっては，経済的な有利性は全くなくなってしまうことは明らかで，ベトナムが規模にこだわることは理解できる。
発展途上国にとっての大規模開発とは何であろうか。日本の過去の経験からも，どうしても大規模開発によってテークオフしなければならない時期がある。この問題に直面しているのが，中国であり，ベトナムであり，ラオスなのであろう。黒四や新幹線で，世界銀行のお金を有効に利用して発展してきた日本としては，彼らに救いの手を差し伸べたいと思うのは当然の心情ではある。当時の日本は，公害問題はまず横において，何がなんでも経済建設優先で発展してきた歴史がある。私が若いころ，泉大津に住んでいて大阪の中之島に通勤するときに，スモッグで視界は数十m，中之島に着くと土佐堀は悪臭を発していた。あの時，一体人類はどうなるのであろうか，人間の力ではもう過去の世界は取り戻せないであろう，と思ったものである。しかし，一旦経済が落ち着いて，さて環境について少し対策を講じてみようか，と皆が思い立つと，瞬く間に大阪の環境は改善されていった。今，皆が心配しているのはこのようなローカルな問題ではなく，地球全体としての環境の問題であるが，これはあるいは幻影かもしれない。地球上の人類の営みは，宇宙の物象に比べればはなはだ小さく，如何に人類が環境
で頑張っても，太陽が一呼吸すればそれでお終い，という程度のものであろう。国際協力の場で，環境への協力や
Basic Human Needs，Women In Development，Rural Development に割けるお金は本当にわずかなもので，いくら頑張っても効果は地球規模ではゼロであろう。
中国のように，先進国の公的資金は頼りにならず，独自で民間資金を活用して発展への切っ掛けを掴もうとする，国力のある国もある。しかし，ベトナムやラオスはそこまで徹底できない，能力がない。この矛盾に泣くこれらの国のテクノクラートの苦悩を目の前にすると，なんとか助けてあげる方法はないものか，と考える毎日である。
September 12, 1997 Xinhua via Individual Inc. :
KUNMING (Sept. 11) XINHUA - Chinese and Thai experts have completed a joint
feasibility study related to the joint construction of a large hydropower
station at Jinghong in the lower reaches of Lancang River in southwest
China Yunnan Province. Reports based on the feasibility study have been
submitted to concerned departments for approval, with recommendations expected
by the end of this year.
If approved, construction of the hydropower station, jointly funded by
China and Thailand, will begin early next year. The plant will begin generating
power in 2004 and the final construction of the project will be completed
in 2005. The hydropower station will be linked to the nearest grid and
provide power to Thailand.
Experts in the power industry note that the Jinghong Hydropower Station
will be the first project to provide power to a foreign country. The Jinghong
station, one of several large power stations in the lower reaches of the
Lancang River, will have generating capacity of 1.5 million kw for short-term
development. The plant will be built at an estimated eight billion yuan,
and will generate 7.34 billion kw/hours of electricity annually. Long-term
development calls for the station, located some 400 km from the Thai cities
of Chiang Mai and Bangkok, to have a generating capacity of 3.2 million
kw in the second year of operation.
(More) 11/09/97 10:46 GMT [Copyright 1997, Comtex]
１９９２年完成の慢湾発電所，先月１８日の大朝山計画１３０万KWに続く，メコン上流ランサン川第３番目の計画のニュースである。これは景洪計画１５０万KWで最下流に位置する。大朝山計画はタイ資本が入った民間資金との協力による雲南省の電力需要に対処するための計画であるが，この景洪計画は明確にタイへの電力輸出を謳っている。私が中国側から直接得た情報によると，中国では現在のところ民間資本による水力開発は行われていないが，開発資金の不足をカバーするために外国資本が５０％以下であれば民間資金の介入を許すとしている。ところが，この計画に対しては，目的がタイへの輸出であることと，国内側の資金の問題があって，中央の電力推進会議ではこの計画に限り外国の資本に５０％以上の持ち分を許すことが論議されており，この妥協が国務院の政治的な判断に受け入れられるかどうか，これが問題となっていたようだ。今回のニュースは，タイの資本に５０％以上のシェアーを許すことを前提とした合意と受け取っても間違いないのではないか。この決定は今後の中国の水力開発の資金調達に大きな先例を開くものであり，注目に値する。
これで，メコン上流の慢湾，大朝山，景洪と３地点が出そろったわけであるが，これらは何れも流れ込みに近い形式で，下流の流況にはあまり大きな影響は与えない。しかし次に予定されている小湾計画は下流に大きな影響を与えるので，中国としても慎重な交渉が必要となるであろう。雲南省の高官に，「タイの外交交渉はうまいですよ，中国と良い勝負だ」といったら，「ヘヘへ」と笑ってごまかしていたが，如何にも自信の有りそうな口振りであった。
August 18, 1997 Xinhua via Individual Inc. : KUNMING (Aug. 17) XINHUA -
The Chinese government recently officially approved the construction of
another large hydro-power project in Lancang River in southwest China's
Yunnan Province bordering Myanmar and Vietnam.
Dachaoshan Power Plant, located in the middle reaches of the Lancang River,
is designed to have an installed capacity of 1.35 million kw. The power
generating capacity is set to reach 5.9 billion kwh annually in its initial
period of operation, and eventually hit seven billion kwh a year. With
an investment of 8.9 billion yuan, the first generating unit of the plant
is scheduled to be operational in 2001. All the six units are expected
to be in full operation in 2003.
The site of the project, with a steep water drop and sparse population,
is ideal for such a large project. The Dachaoshan Hydro-power Co. Ltd.
was the sole developer and future operator of the project, which is jointly
funded by State Development and Investment Corporation, Yunnan Hongta Industrial
Co. Ltd., Yunnan Electricity Corporation and Yunnan Development and Investment
Corporation,
Up to now, some 1.2 billion yuan has been allotted for the preparation
of the project. Water diversion tunnels, key to the damming of the river,
have been put in use since May of 1996.
[Copyright 1997, Comtex]
大朝山計画。メコンの上流，中国領内雲南省ランチャン川に建設される１３０万ＫＷの大規模水力発電所，１９９４年に完成した漫湾計画に続く，ランチャン川第２番目の水力発電所の建設が決定した，とのニュースである。しかしこの計画は，貯水池の容量が小さく下流への影響は極めて少ない，従って，下流のメコン諸国も特にその建設決定に大きな関心は示していない。更にこの上流には小湾計画があり，有効容量を４０億トン持つ計画で，下流に最大毎秒７００トンの渇水時流量を供給できる能力を持っている。しかしそのことは，逆に流送土砂を止めるという逆の効果も持つ。もしこの小湾計画が具体化するならば，下流諸国への影響は大きい。下流の東北タイは，バンコクとの経済格差をなくするために，メコンの水を導水して灌漑を行う計画を持っているが，下流への影響が大きいのでこの計画を国際的には公表していない。この計画のためには，どうしても新しい水を生み出す上流の計画が必要なのであるが，自国の開発に他国のダム計画を利用することに，タイは大きな抵抗を持っている。上流のダム計画なしに東北タイの水を生み出すことは，理論的には不可能なことは明白であるが，これ
を口に出さずに自国側施設の開発を進めているタイの考え方を理解することは，非常に難しい。タイと言うのは不思議に大人の国である。誰が考えても無理な話を，理論を無視して反対し続ける，あるいは計画を黙って進める。理屈抜きの強引な面と高度な政治判断が混在して，周囲には極めてわかりにくい。植民地化を避けてきた歴史を持つタイ，日本軍の進駐に柔軟に対応して最後は戦勝国の立場に立ったタイ，政治的困難を軍事クーデターや国王の一言で解決してきたタイ，一週間後に迫ったメコン総会を一言「イヤッ」と言って中止したタイ，ＢＯＴで完成したハイウェーを一つの政令で取り上げってしまったタイ，水源の計算なしに国内の工事を進めるタイ，これらはすべて一つのタイで，今日もタイの人々はにこやかに日本人を迎えてくれる。不思議な国である。経済危機も巧みに乗りきるであろうことを期待する。
読売新聞ニュース速報 【北京１９日＝大江志伸】中国政府が最重要国家プロジェクトとして進めている長江（揚子江）三峡ダム建設は、事業主体の「中国長江三峡工程開発総公司」が十八日、来年からの第二期工事分について国内業者と契約するなど順調に進展している。超大型の国際商談として注目された発電設備の受注合戦でも、欧州勢の落札がほぼ内定した。 ただ、同商談では、敗退確実となった日本企業連合などに一部設備を請け負わせる案が浮上するなど中国政府の外交戦略も絡み、大詰めで難航している模様だ。 三峡ダム建設は、今年十一月予定の長江せき止めで第一期工事を終え、来年から第二期のダム、発電所本体の建設に入る。十九日の中国各紙によると、十八日の契約額は六十六億元（一元は約十五円）で、中国企業三社が請け負った。 八億ドル規模とされる発電機の国際入札では、「近く結果を発表する」（中国長江三峡工程開発総公司国際協力部）予定だが、北京の日中関係筋によると、欧州勢の優位は不動の情勢。水力発電機二十六基（総出力千八百二十万キロ・ワット）のうち、国際入札の対象は十四基で、英仏合弁のＧＥＣアルストム、独シーメンスなどの企業連合が
受注確実とされる。日本勢は、日立、伊藤忠商事など重電、商社の大手八社連合が応札したが、価格、技術移転の両面で欧州勢に後れをとった。 今回の発電設備の受注合戦では、欧州勢が当初から「官民連合」の態勢で臨み、今年五月訪中したシラク仏大統領は、英仏企業連合のため“攻勢”をかけたとされる。三峡プロジェクトを巡っては、ダム建設による環境破壊などを理由に米輸出入銀行の公的融資を認めなかったため、米国勢が応札を見送るなど国際的な波紋を呼んだ。 中国政府は、同プロジェクトを対欧州外交のカードに利用した節があり、今回の「欧州勢当確」につながったといえる。 ただ、落札内定が伝えられる欧州企業連合からは「契約は最終的なものではない」との声も出ており、正式調印は延び延びとなっている。「日本、ロシアなど“敗退組”に一部設備を請け負わせる方式などを巡り、中国と欧州勢との間で土壇場の交渉が続いているのでは」（日中関係筋）との観測も出ている。
[1997-08-19-22:45]
August 15, 1997 Nikkei English News via Individual Inc. :
BEIJING (Nikkei) -- A Japanese consortium was outbid Thursday by five European
firms on a contract to install 50-70 billion yen worth of generators at
the Sanxia dam on China's Yangtze River.
The Chinese government designated 14 of the planned 26 hydroelectric power
generators at the dam for foreign bidding. The 3 trillion yen Sanxia dam
is scheduled for completion in 2009, with the power plant coming on-stream
in 2003. It will be the world's largest power plant, producing 18.2 million
kilowatts of electricity.
Hitachi Ltd. (6501) and seven Japanese partners were not determined enough
to win the contract, analysts said, and were slow to seek government support
in Japan.
In contrast, the European consortium eagerly sought government backing.
ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. of Switzerland will supply eight generators
and Siemens AG of Germany will deliver six; three other European concerns
will install watermills.
Canadian and Russian consortia also participated in the bidding.
Toshiba Corp. (6502), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (7011), Mitsubishi
Electric Corp. (6503) and four trading houses joined Hitachi to bid on
the contract.<>[Copyright 1997, Nikkei America]
時事通信ニュース速報 ＝中国・三峡ダムの発電設備国際入札＝ 【北京15日ＡＦＰ＝時事】当地の業界筋は十五日、中国政府が国家プロジェクトとして建設を進める三峡ダムの発電設備納入をめぐる国際競争入札で、欧州の三つの企業連合の受注が決まったと語った。入札は発電機とタービン各十四基が対象で、日本の企業連合も応札していた。 同筋によれば、独電機大手シーメンスと独機械メーカー、フォイト、米ゼネラル・エレクトリック（ＧＥ）のカナダ子会社で構成する企業連合が発電機六基とタービン六基、英仏合弁のＧＥＣアルストムがタービン八基、スイスの電機大手アセア・ブラウン・ボベリ（ＡＢＢ）が発電機八基の契約をそれぞれ獲得したという。同筋は契約総額は特定できないとしているが、推定では約八億ドル（九百四十四億円）に上るとみられる。 三峡ダムは二○○九年の完成を目指しており、完成時の総出力は約一万八千二百メガワットで、水力発電施設としては世界最大級となる。
[1997-08-15-17:58]
これは間違いなく三峡ダムですよね！ 日立を中心とした日本グループ敗退！日本の景気を左右しそうな大規模な契約であり，日本と中国との今後の協力にも大きな影響を及ぼすプロジェクトだったし，世論の難しい中にあってそれを押し切って支援に踏み切った通産省と輸銀の努力を踏みにじる，大変インパクトの大きい決定です。記事は，日本政府支援の遅かったことを挙げていますが，米国の反対を押しきってぎりぎり支援に踏み切った日本政府の中国への誠意を理解してくれないのでしょうか。テンダーと言うのは全く勝負の世界で，このような泣き言を言うべきではありませんが，やはり日本の協力のベクトルに大きなマイナスを与えることは否めない。しかも発表の日が終戦記念日とはどういうことですか！核実験だってあれだけ耐えて早く無償再開に踏み切ったのに！来週から中国に行くことになっていて，私自身もファイト喪失と言うところです。中国は，その大規模な市場を抱えて，少し日本を甘く見ていると考えざるを得ない，通産大臣が直接訴えた重要性をどう考えているのかな。内容が良く分からない段階で，あまり興奮するのは良くないけれど，価格に決定的な差があったとは考えに
くいし，まして技術的に欠陥があったとは考えにくい，発表までに予定を40日ぐらい遅れたわけだから，中国も悩んだとは思うのだけれど。少し気持ちを立て直すのに時間がかかる。
July 16, 1997 Xinhua via Individual Inc. : JAKARTA (July 15)
XINHUA - Indonesia will have a nuclear power plant by they year 2003 or
2005 to meet a drastically increased demand for electricity, a government
official said. "We will have a nuclear power plant, depending on the
agreement between the government and the House of Representatives,"
director general of the National Atomic Energy Board Iyos R. Subki said
here on Monday.
After opening a seminar on nuclear power plant, he said the nuclear power
plant would remain the last alternative, local press reported today.
Despite abundant energy sources in Indonesia such as gas, coal, hydro and
solar energy, he said the country had to explore the possibility of alternative
power plants. Meanwhile, Morris Rosen of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) told the seminar that population growth would raise the need
for energy which would in the end prompt the construction of nuclear power
plants.
He predicted that Indonesia would have a population of 270 million by the
year 2020 when the need for energy would increase by an average of eight
percent per year. There is no technology without risks, he said, adding
the use of coal, oil, gas, solar, hydro energy might have an impact on
the environment.
[Copyright 1997, Comtex]
東南アジアの各国が原子力発電所を持たねばならない時代が差し迫っている，これは誰をも否定することの出来ない時代の流れであろう。でもそのための準備が進んでいるのか，大いに疑問のあるところである。それは建設のための準備ということでなく，そのための国全体の対応が問題だと思う。国民のコンセンサスの問題もあるし，何より大きいのは政策面から末端の運転までの人材育成に時間がかかるという要素が大きいと思う。今後は外国企業の民間開発で進む可能性が高いが，その民間開発もローカルな人材にかかっているからである。
１９８０年だったか，スリーマイルの事故のときにクワラルンプールに滞在していた。マレーシア政府の電力セクターの高官が，我々は原子力を持っていなくて幸せだ，と呟いていたのを思い出す。当時の事故の第一報はそれほど衝撃的であり，もう原子力は永久に受け入れられないとの印象であった。あれから１７年，東南アジアでも真剣にその開発が議論されるところまできている。
１９９１年にバンコクに滞在していたころ，新聞の論調の中に，日本は大学で原子力技術の教育を受けた卒業生がこのように何人も育っていっている，それに比べてタイはどうか，全然そのような卒業生はいないではないか，一体何時になったら日本のように原子力が開発できるようになるのか，という記事があったのを思い出す。インドネシアに比べて考え方が堅実だな，と思ったが，既にタイでも将来の開発のための準備が進んでいることは事実である。
１０分おきに速度毎時２５０ｋｍの新幹線を正確に運転できる日本でも，原子力の事故のニュースが定期的に新聞紙上をにぎわしている。東南アジアの中で，高度な技術者の育成だけでは，おそらく問題は解決しないであろう。実際に事故に結びつくのは末端の技術者までの均衡の取れた人材育成が必要だから。
日本の企業も，このインドネシアの原子力開発に手を貸していっているし，今後ますますそのニーズが高まってくるだろう。単に原子力の開発に手を貸すだけの国際協力ではなく，もっと大きなシステムの中での協力が求められていると思う。
Vowing to minimise fallout from project
July 14, 1997 Thaksina Khaikaew Vientiane
Laos is determined to go ahead with the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric dam and
urged the international community to support the $1.5 billion project.
"Nam Theun 2 dam is the best for Laos. The international community
should give support to the project as it will be implemented with great
care being given to environmental and social impacts," said Khammone
Phonekeo, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft at the
end of a week-long workshop, titled "Third National Public Consultation",
which ended Saturday.
He said if people from the other countries listened to the voice of the
Laotian people, they would certainly hear that the Laotians wanted the
project to uplift their living standard.
None of the non-governmental organisations which took part in the workshop
voiced opposition to the project.
The 680-megawatt hydroelectric dam will be built across the Nam Theun River
which is a tributary of the mighty Mekong. About 450 square kilometres
of land in Nakai plateau, or 40 percent of the area, will be flooded and
between 800-1,000 families will have to be resettled.
Located some 250 km south of Vientiane, the Nam Theun 2 dam is a build-own-operate-transfer
project to be developed by the Laotian government in collaboration with
Nam Theun 2 Electricity Consortium (NTEC) which involves Transfield Corp,
Electricite de France and three Thai firms - Italian-Thai Development Plc,
Jasmine International Plc and Phatra Thanakit Company.
NTEC holds 75 percent stake in the project and the rest is held by the
Laotian government which will assume full onwership of the dam after 25
years. Most of the electricity generated will be exported to Thailand,
starting 2004.
Thailand currently imports 195 megawatts of electricity from Laos - 150
megawatts from Nam Ngum dam and 45 megawatts from Xeset dam.
For landlocked Laos, export of electricity is its main source of foreign
exchange. It expects to earn $250 million a year by selling electricity
generated by Nam Theun 2 dam.
Mr Khammone ruled out fears that economic slowdown in Thailand would affect
the power purchase from Nam Theun 2.
Despite Laos's determination, a green light is yet to come from the World
Bank which is the major source of funding for the dam.
To convince the World Bank, Laos is obliged to submit independent studies
assuring that the project complies with economic, social and environmental
standards.
Independent studies by research teams were presented at the workshop last
week for comments from NGOs after which the Laotian government will compile
a report and submit it to the World Bank.
At the workshop, there was a suggestion that the height of the dam should
be lowered to minimise adverse social and environmental impacts. Also,
it was suggested that several smaller dams instead of one big dam should
be built.
But NTEC insisted that downsizing the dam may affect the feasibility of
the entire project.
A representative of the World Bank, Ms Kathryne McPhail, said she could
not give a definite answer now whether the bank would approve the project.
But she insisted that the project must meet all the guidelines set by the
bank. She added that the bank would take a couple of months to study all
the related findings before coming up with an answer.
一週間に亘ったナムトウン２計画に対する公聴会（Third National Public Consultation）が土曜日に終幕した。大きな関心を持ってその結果を待ち望んでいたが，このニュースがその第一報である。ラオス政府はこの計画を進めることに決定し，今後誠意を持ってその社会的環境的なインパクトを最小限に止めるよう努力するので，国際社会も助けてほしい，というのがカモン副大臣の締めくくりの挨拶である。それに対して出席のNGOからは反対の声が出なかったと，ニュースは報じている。カモンさんの最後の挨拶，国の経済を憂えるその心情が伝わるようである。
しかし問題は解決したわけではない。世銀の代表は，世銀としての結論を出すのに更に２，３ヶ月はかかる，と説明している。ラオス政府は今回の公聴会で出された意見を参考にして，環境に関する報告書を最終的にまとめて世銀に正式に提出し，世銀がこれを審査して結論を出すという過程を踏むことになる。全体的な雰囲気は，このニュースで読む限り，ラオス政府の熱意が大きく会議を動かしたような感じである。NGOの意見も，もう少しダムが小さくならないのか，というコメントに終始し，条件付きで認めざるを得ないとの感触が伝わってくるが，この辺の真のニュワンスは更なる詳報を待つ必要がある。
数年前にこのプロジェクトに関係していたころ，どうしても大きな池に反対の声が強いならば，上流の２個所の支流にそれぞれ一個づつダムを造って，取水口は現在案とする方法があるのではないか，と議論したことがあった。実際に経済性がどのように変化するかを調べたが，事実相当の経済性の悪化を招き，今となってはIPP側の受け入れるところとはならないであろう。NGOの発言の中にはこの構想も頭の中に入れた上での意味合いが含まれているような気がする。ここまでラオス政府が引き返すのは困難であろうと思われる，最後の手段としては残されているような気がするが。
いずれにしても世銀の結論がどうなるか，世銀の結論を待たずに第三者が融資を行うことは，ここまでくればありえないであろう。
Week-long workshop to gather opinions Thaksina Khaikaew Vientiane, Laos
The Laotian Government is confident the World Bank will agree to its request
for a loan for the construction of its controversial Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric
dam project to generate electricity for sale to Thailand. A week-long workshop
called the Third National Public Consultation on Nam Theun 2 started yesterday
in Vientiane's Lan Xang Hotel in which various impact studies and management
plans were presented. Main focus of attention were five reports outlining
population resettlement plans, options available, environmental assessment
studies, its economic impact and the Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity
Conservation Area's social and environment management strategy.
The proposed project is to be built on the wildlife-rich Nakai Plateau
in Khammouane province in Laos with the Nam Theun 2 Electricity Consortium
(NTEC), set up by the Laotian Government, and five other multi-national
companies including the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand sharing
the investment costs.
According to Khammone Phaonekeo, Vice Minister of Laos' Industry and Handicrafts,
the World Bank has indicated that it would carefully study the five major
reports before deciding whether to support the project. But the World Bank
demands that public opinion and participation is required in the decision-making
process of the project. As a result, this public consultation workshop
will run for a full week to gather as much as possible from public participation,
especially those villagers that would be directly affected by the project,
said Khammone.
This workshop is the last to be held as the study teams are to finalise
their reports along with public recommendations before handing them to
the Government of Laos. "This is a very good project and I believe
the World Bank will support it as it knows this will help Laos to feed
its own people and stand on its own feet," said Khammone.
Landlocked Laos is rich in natural power resources such as lignite and
hydropower to feed the market demands of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
By the year to 2006, Laos hopes to sell around 3,000 MKwatts of electricity
to Thailand. It has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
to sell another 1,500 MKwatts to Vietnam by the year 2010.
The Nam Theun 2 project is just one of a dozen planned electricity generating
projects of the country. An estimated 1,000 families in Nakai district
are being evacuated to pave the way for the dam construction. These villagers
will be relocated by the NTEC to live on higher ground around the dam site.
The Nakai villagers are now being put through an agricultural training
programme and are said to be quite satisfied with what's being offered
since the government has assured them of a better future for their children,
said Mr Sat Songsavanh, a representative of Nakai district. He said there
is no other choice for the people here who have long been hunters and gatherers.
They would be taught new ways of growing their food under the resettlement
project. "We felt secure when we heard of the agricultural training
programme that would provide us with enough food and we would no longer
have to hunt wild animals to trade for rice," said Mr Sat.
Meanwhile, NTEC director David Iverach attacked international non-governmental
organisations opposing the project as disappointing but not surprising.
The NGOs like the International Rivers Network (IRN), World Wild Fund for
Nature (WWF), Green Peace, and Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional
Alliance (TERRA) have opposed the project since it involves flooding part
of the plateau that would cause a serious impact on the environment, the
people and wildlife. They have criticised that the project will destroy
one of the most resource-rich forests in Asia. Mr Iverach however accepted
every major development project carries some risks and the NTEC is trying
to reduce them in this case as much as possible. "We (NTEC) have done
the best on our part and are now looking forward to the World Bank to give
us its support and green light," said Mr Iverach.
July 8, 1997 VIENTIANE - Inter Press Service via Individual Inc. :
When Lao government officials sit down with the World Bank this week to
discuss a controversial dam project, they hope to secure the Bank's green
light for it. But they are also prepared for the worst. Already more than
two years behind schedule, the Nam Theun-2 dam project is likely to be
delayed further due to what Lao officials say is the WB's attempt to create
a "pro-environment" image for itself. Billed by the government
and a consortium of contractors as the saviour of the economy but slammed
by critics as an ecological disaster, the $1.2 billion U.S. dam project
seems doomed to eternal delay.
Starting today, Vientiane will host the third national public consultation
workshop on Nam Theun-2. It hopes the event will help Laos clinch the Bank's
political risk guarantee for the project. But there are signs the WB, in
keeping with its tough new line on the environment, may ask Lao officials
for yet more studies on the project though the Bank is likely to give its
nod eventually.
The proposed 615-megawatt dam, which would be the largest single infrastructure
in Laos' history, is to rise on the south-western rim of the Nakai Plateau
in Khammouane province in central Laos. The construction of the dam, which
Laos hopes will lift it out of poverty, has been delayed because of concerns
over its impact on a rare cypress forest covering a third of the plateau.
The dam reservoir is expected to flood more than 450 square kilometers
in the Nakai Plateau, and displace 4,000 ethnic people from more than a
dozen villages.
According to Lao officials upset about the project's delay, the Bank is
trying to project an environment-friendly image at the expense of a tiny
nation struggling to develop its energy resources for its own survival
and growth. A small nation and international "lightweight", Laos
is easy target for the World Bank to put pressure on and an opportunity
for it to create an `eco-friendly' image after years of facing flak for
promoting big dam projects all over the world, these officials argue.
"They can't do such arm-twisting to bigger countries like China and
India which are working on much larger and ecologically more damaging hydro-power
projects," said a senior Lao minister negotiating with the World Bank.
He says the Nam Theun 2 dam is essential for the Lao economy. And if the
project falls through, he says the government may be forced to turn to
the logging industry to provide much needed foreign exchange.
The Lao government and a consortium of Australian, French and Thai companies
taking part in the project hope to make up to 250 million dollars a year
from selling electricity to Thailand. But while developers want to borrow
money from commercial banks for the project, bankers are hesitant to lend
huge amounts to a socialist country for a long-term project that relies
on a single customer -- Thailand -- for its income. The World Bank, whose
guarantees against political risk are crucial to boosting the confidence
of project lenders, has so far withheld its approval and demanded a series
of studies on the social, economic and environmental impact of the dam
project.
Three of the most recently conducted studies will be discussed at the week-long
consultation that begins on Monday in Vientiane. Still, environmental groups
are skeptical about the sincerity of the World Bank's hard line approach
on protecting ecology. "The World Bank's record of supporting controversial
dam projects all over the world is not inspiring," says a Bangkok-based
activist who feels that the Bank will eventually approve the project after
making sufficient "public noises." The studies commissioned by
the Lao government, the activist says, are likely to only endorse mainstream
concepts about the benefits of big dams and use technical jargon to justify
the Nam Theun 2 project.
For instance, the study on alternatives to the Nam Theun 2 project tackles
questions like whether it can viably sell electricity to Thailand, how
it ranks among other potential power export schemes from Laos and whether
it is the best given technical, environmental and social risks. A draft
of the study, conducted jointly by German and New Zealand consultancy firms,
makes no major conclusions, but allays fears about the economic viability
of the project.
Demand for power in Thailand, growing at more than 12 percent annually
is more than enough to take the 3,000 megawatts of electricity Laos is
committed to export to its neighbor by 2006, it said. Power exports to
Thailand now amount to 25 percent of Laos' total exports, and Lao authorities
have so far approved 24 hydropower projects with a capacity of about 6,600
megawatts. Preliminary findings of a study on the project's economic impact
are even more upbeat. It said: "The Nam Theun 2 project would yield
substantial net benefits to Laos, while at the same time providing the
resources that would be required over the medium term to mitigate its social
and environmental impact." It says the dam project would increase
the landlocked country's GDP by about 3.2 percent over the life of the
project. The dam's investment requirements represent about three-quarters
of Laos' annual GDP.
But the study does raise questions about the competence of Lao state bodies
to use project revenues to help communities displaced by the dam and for
poverty alleviation in general. Weak government institutions, lack of trained
personnel and potential conflicts of interest among state bodies could
hamper implementation of measures to ease the social and environmental
effects of the dam, it says. Of greatest worry to many environmental groups
is the fate of a 3,500-square km area around the dam site, which runs along
the Lao-Vietnam border that is one of the most significant protected ecological
areas in the world.
While dam proponents argue that income from the project will help protect
the area by providing an alternative to logging as a major source of government
revenue, environmentalists contend that development there will increase
chances of more logging. A draft of the study on the dam's impact on conservation
efforts suggests that the entire area be declared a World Heritage Site
with the help of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
Apart from urging a $13.5 million plan to protect the area, the study also
advises against the construction of new roads and commercial logging in
the conservation zone. "The Nam Theun 2 issue is a classic debate
between economic development and conservation and in the case of a poor
country like Laos, the choices are difficult," says an economist with
a consultancy firm studying the project's socio-economic impact.
[Copyright 1997, Inter Press Service]
いよいよ注目のラオス・ナムトウン２水力計画の公聴会が始まった。世界銀行の強力な指導力による異例のパブリック・コンサルテーションである。世界銀行のミッションが一般的な移住や環境問題に加えて，このプロジェクトが代替案の中でもっとも適切なものかどうか，これが今回与えられた新しい視点である。報告書を作ったコンサルタントが，この質問に対する適切な答えを用意できるかどうか，私は疑問を持つ。このメコン流域全体の水力計画地点の中で，飛びぬけて有利な経済性を有していることは，私自身も知っているが，与えられたテーマーの中には，環境的社会的にも最適か，の問題も含んでいる。もっと大きなシステムの中での最適を証明する必要があるわけで，まさに哲学的な議論を要求されている。ここまで立ち返って議論を要求した世銀のミッションは，最終的にどこに問題を落ち着かせようと考えているのか。この議論の対象とするシステムの大きさの問題は，下手をすると，タイの経済成長が必要なのか，というところまで発展する可能性も秘めている。
住民参加はよしとするも，外国のNGOをどこまで公聴会の中に入れるか，これも今回投げかけられた大きな問題であろう。公聴会とはそういうものなのだろうか。当事者とはどこまでを言うのか。住民は，既にプロジェクトの実施をやむを得ないものとして受け入れる態勢にあるが，世界の世論は容易に計画を受け入れないであろう。深く考えれば，世銀を監督する唯一の機関は米国議会だと言われている。結局米国議会を納得させるためには，関心のあるすべてのグループを納得させなければならないのか。私は，この問題は，このような方法では容易に決着できないと思う。補償も含めた地元対策及び環境対策の費用をどこまで見積もるか，これが地元に対する公聴会のできる限界であろう。哲学的な議論の場は，このようなコンサルテーションでは達成できないであろう。だって，三峡にしても雑誌に出ている意見にしても，技術的な観点がゼロに等しいのだから。
ラオスの政治家たちの言葉が胸を打つ。世銀は，中国やインドのような大国に対しては，これ以上のプロジェクトを受け入れてきたではないか，我々のような小国に対して，なぜこのような厳しい態度をとるのか，どうしても世銀のエンドースが得られなかった場合は，我々は森林を伐採して輸出するより生きる方法がなくなってしまう，と言うのである。ラオス政府と住民が納得した場合は，何とかして実現させてあげたい。もう小国をいじめるのは止めよう。世銀がウンといわなければ，民間銀行がついてこない，ここにラオス政府の苦衷があるのである。
Thailand will sign a memorandum on Friday to buy 1,500 mW of electricity
from Burma by 2010, according to Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
(Egat) Governor Preecha Chungwattana. Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
will preside over the signing, which will be attended by Prime Minister's
Office Minister Sompong Amornvivat and Burmese Energy Minister U Khin Maung
Thein.
Mr Preecha said the memorandum would contain a bilateral agreement to plan
the construction of a transmission system for both countries, along with
the Burmese Government's permission for Thai businessmen to participate
in power generating projects. Mr Preecha said a joint working committee
would work out details of the deal.
Egat also planned to buy electricity from Laos and China.
Bangkok Post
足立コメント
EGATは，懸命に電源の確保に走っている。ラオスからの買電契約２５０万KWに続いて，更にミャンマーからも１５０万KWの買電に契約する方向となった。今タイは，バブルがはじけて経済の先行きが不透明であるが，ラオスからの買電の先行きもよく読めない状況で，更に中国雲南省からの買電も計画しているようである。国内のIPP計画が順調に進んでいるので，あまりラオスからの買電に本気になっていないのではないかとの推測もあるが，あらゆる手を打って行こうとする積極的な姿勢である。一つはタイの民間企業の後押しがあることも一つの契機となっているのであろう。６月２０日のニュースで見たとおり，ミャンマーの水力のIPPが，予想以上に進んでいることもこれと連動している。サルウィーン川よりも，シッタンのパウンラン計画などが早くなるのであろう。１９７６年に私はこのパウンランの現地の小屋で，ボーリング工事の監督をしたことを思い出す。
Bid to speed up cooperation programmes
Woranuj Maneerungsee
Trade ministers of the Greater Mekong Subregion are expected to meet later
this week in Chon Buri to deal with a range of issues, including ways to
assist trade among the six member countries. It would be the first informal
ministerial meeting of trade ministers from the subregion which includes
Cambodia, China, Laos, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam, the director-general
of Business Economic Department, Vithun Tulyanond, said.
Commerce Minister Narongchai Akrasanee will chair the meeting. He is expected
to raise issues of trade assistance and promotion, border trade deregulation,
import tax, immigration procedures and charges such as landing fees in
Laos.
Although subregional economic cooperation was established five years ago,
cooperation in trade and investment sectors has not eventuated. The subregion's
members have agreed to cooperate in seven sectors including transport,
telecommunication, energy, trade and investment, human resource development,
tourism and environmental management..However, Mr Vithun said only the
transport sector had so far made any progress with an agreement to conduct
feasibility studies for some projects.
At the last ministerial meeting in the Philippines, Mr Narongchai lobbied
for informal meetings among the group's ministers so that issues could
be dealt with more speedily. Thailand will also host the first meeting
of the working group on trade and investment later this year. Mr Narongchai
said at the Philippines meeting that the programme should focus on "soft"
areas of cooperation over the next five years.
He wanted the quick establishment of a trade assistance working group to
stimulate cooperation. Mr Vithun said Thailand wanted to speed up the implementation
of cooperation programmes. The framework for trade and investment cooperation
includes information exchange, examining trade obstacles, trade deregulation
and human resource development. Thailand has already initiated a training
programme for personnel development to be run by the Export Promotion Department
of Commerce Ministry, Mr Vithun said.
The ministers expected to attend the informal meeting are Chea Chanto,
Minister of Planning of Cambodia, Phao Bounnaphol, Minister of Communication,
Transport, Post and Construction of Laos, Brig-Gen David Abel, Minister
of Planning and Development of Burma, Tran Xuan Gia, Minister of Planning
and Investment of Vietnam.
China has not confirmed which of its minister will attend the meeting but
it is likely that Chen Yaobang, Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Commission,
will participate.
汎メコン経済圏構想（Sub-region）の中で，通商に関するソフトな協議が行われるのは，今回が初めてである。前回マニラで開かれた閣僚レベルの協議において既に示唆されていたとは言え，今回の会議が経済面で一歩先を行くタイの主導のもとに開催にこぎ着けたことは明白である。中国は未だ参加を決定していないとの報道であるが，当然，タイと他の経済的に遅れている国との間に，摩擦は避けられないであろう。既にラオスは，ＡＳＥＡＮに加盟することによって，現在計画が進行中の売電の面で少なからず打撃を受ける，と表現している。今週末の会議に注目したい。
【ワシントン26日時事】世界銀行は二十六日、中国に対する総額八億三千万ドルの融資案件二件を発表した。一件は黄河でのダム、発電所建設および黄河流域の洪水対策事業向け融資で四億三千万ドル。同事業が完了すれば、黄河流域の一億人強の住民が洪水から守られるほか、発電量と水の供給量が増加する見通し。 二件目は上海での火力発電所計画向けで四億ドル。上海は一九九○−九五年に年平均一三％の経済成長を達成しているが、電力需要も同一○・八％増加、エネルギー不足が成長阻害要因となっている。
[1997-06-27-09:30]
世銀が，黄河のダムと上海の発電所に８億ドル以上の巨額の融資を発表した。黄河のダムの詳細は，私はまだ把握していない，早速に調べます。あれほどの論議を呼んで米国も含め世銀も噛んでいないあの三峡ダムがあるのに，早々と黄河への融資を発表した真意は何か。恐らく，私は三峡への融資をしない（最もこれは中国側の判断であるが）ことに対して，世銀はプロジェクトの内容によって判断するので中国に対する全面的な拒否ではない，という趣旨を表現したものであろう。他にも過去に三峡以外は助けますよ，との意志表示を他のプロジェクトで行っている。最近，ある一つのプロジェクトをスケープゴートにして他のプロジェクトを推進する，というケースがママ出てきている。
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 11:43:08 -0700
From: owner-irn-bakun@igc.org (by way of irnweb@irn.org (Daniel Schacht))
To: irn-bakun@igc.apc.org >
The Star >> >>
Thursday, June 12, 1997 >> >>
Coffer-dam collapse not serious, says Taib >> >>
KUALA LUMPUR: The Bakun Dam project has been delayed
>> slightly because of the collapse of a coffer-dam, >> Sarawak
Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud said >> yesterday.
>> >> "The engineers are still in the process of pumping
out
>> the water in the three diversion tunnels because the
>> area is so big," he said. >> >> "The project
is slightly affected but it is not
>> serious," he told reporters when asked to comment on
>> rumours that the coffer-dam had collapsed and flooded
>> three diversion tunnels more than a week ago.
>> >> Taib had earlier attended a meeting of the Cabinet
>> Committee on the Bakun Dam project chaired by Acting
>> Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Finance >>
Ministry.
>> >> Taib said the collapse was caused by the large volume
of
>> water stored there to keep the Bakun site dry for
>> construction work to carry on.
>> >> However, he could not say how long the delay would be,
>> adding: "I am confident the contractors will be able to
>> catch up because the problem is not that serious."
>> >> On the relocation of the indigenous people affected by
>> the project, he said it would be delayed by a couple of
>> months because of the weather conditions.
>> >> The 9,500 people were supposed to have been moved out
in
>> batches beginning this month.
>> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ************************************ Patrick McCully Campaigns Director
International Rivers Network 1847 Berkeley Way Berkeley, CA 94703, USA
Tel. 510 848 1155 Fax. 510 848 1008 http://www.irn.org
足立コメント
世界の環境団体が注目しているマレーシアのサラワク，Bakun ダム計画は，激しい議論の中マレーシア政府がその推進を決定し，米国の
Enron 社がこれを進めているものである。仮締め切りが決壊したことによって工程が遅れると報じられたが，これがまた環境への影響と結び合わされて議論が沸騰するかも知れない。私は，９４年以来此の議論の資料を持っているが，残念ながら基本的な資料がないのでホームページへの掲載をしていない。どなたか，平面図，写真等，ご提供いただけませんでしょうか。私の手持ち資料とともに，私のホームページでまとめて発表したいと思いますが。
By Isabel L. Pan Reporter
MOBIL Corp. of the US, one of the country's major oil companies before
it decided to close shop in the early 1980s, has offered to convert the
mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) into a gas-fired combined
cycle facility. Mobil's move represents a direct challenge to the existing
offer of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. and Occidental Philippines
to convert the Bataan power unit into a gas-fired plant running on domestically
produced natural gas.
Shell and Occidental are developers of the country's first and only commercially
viable natural gas find in Camago and Malampaya in offshore Palawan. The
two firms' offer to convert the BNPP into a gas-fired plant is part of
their efforts to develop a viable domestic market for natural gas.
Napocor has been holding negotiations with Shell and Occidental on the
terms of the conversion agreement but Mobil's new offer may force power
officials to subject the project to competitive bidding to assure transparency
and fairness. Michael Lawler, vice president of Mobil LNG, told Napocor
officials that one of the market thrusts of the company is to supply liquefied
natural gas (LNG) in the Asia Pacific Region. "We believe that the
current dynamic energy market as well as future energy requirements in
the Philippines presents an opportunity for Mobil LNG and Mobil Power to
bring competition to the (local energy sector)," Lawler said.
1997 The Manila Times
１９８０年代はじめに放棄された原子力発電所（当時工事中）は，結局マニラを中心とした大規模な電力不足の大きな原因となったことは記憶に新しい。Ｓｈｅｌｌ社がこれをガス火力に改造する案を提示して久しいが，ここに遂に米国のＭＯＢＩＬ社がなぐり込みを駆けてきた。ローカルなＬＮＧを対象としていたＳＨＥＬＬ社に対して，ＭＯＢＩＬ社は，自己の世界的な燃料供給体系をも考慮に入れた新しいＩＰＰで望もうとしているわけで，これも東南アジアの民間投資の流れにのって一挙に勝負にでた感じである。まだ紆余曲折があるだろう。
June 20, 1997 Xinhua via Individual Inc. :
YANGON (June 19) XINHUA - Myanmar's power sector achieved a growth rate
of 7.9 percent in 1996-97 fiscal year ending March over the previous year,
according to the latest official statistics. The installed capacity for
electric power by the state-owned Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise (MEPE)
was 1,030 megawatts in the fiscal year, up from 982 megawatts in the previous
year, accounting for 74 percent of the total capacity in the country. The
MEPE generated 4.256 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 1996-97,
200 million kilowatt-hours more than the previous year.
In order to generate enough electricity for new enterprises, heavy industries,
towns and villages, Myanmar has built six power stations since 1988 --
three hydro-power stations -- Sedawgyi, Beluchaung and Zawgyi -- and three
natural gas power stations -- Ahlone, Hlawga and Thakayta. Of the installed
capacity in the country, hydro-power shares 32 percent, while natural gas
represents 51 per cent. The MEPE also extended power transmission and distribution
lines to 21, 054 kilometers in 1996-97, bringing electricity to 320 towns
and 1,087 villages.
Electricity is in great demand as Myanmar's economy is now in a stage of
development with growing involvement of the private sector and foreign
investment. To alleviate the power shortage, Myanmar is planning to build
six more large hydro-power plants. The 280-megawatt Paunglaung project
is being undertaken by Japan's Kajima Corporation under a contract reached
in May last year, and the 200-megawtt Namkok project in the eastern Shan
state is still under a feasibility survey by a developer group of Marubeni
(Japan), MDX (Thailand) and Italian-Thai Development Public Co. under an
agreement reached last September.
Meanwhile, an oil group of UNOCAL (US), TOTAL (France) and Mitsui (Japan)
reached a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar in April last year to
build a 200-megawatt natural gas power station in Yangon to consume gas
from Myanmar's Yadana Field.
China's Hunan group will also conduct a feasibility study for the 90-megawatt
Kun Hydropower Plant Project in Phyu, Bago division, under an MOU signed
with Myanmar last year.
A local private company reached an MOU in May with the Energy Authorities
to build the Nang Mai Sai hydro-power station in Shan state's Tachilek
area bordering Thailand.
Myanmar has set a planned target of 6.4 percent growth for its GDP in the
next fiscal year (1997-98), during which the power sector is projected
to grow by 11.2 per cent with output of 4.475 billion kilowatt-hours.
[Copyright 1997, Comtex]
軍事政権に対する批判から各国政府の援助が慎重に検討されている間に，高い経済成長を支えるための電力開発は，ＩＰＰを中心とした民間資金の進出が続いていることが，この報道の特徴である。そうして，ラオスの電源開発で出遅れた日本企業の積極的な関与が目に付く。全体で１００万ＫＷの設備出力まで延びていることは驚きであり，カンボディアとは，人口もさることながら，桁違いに大きな発展を遂げている。もう民間開発としての電力マーケットが育ってきていると言ってもよかろう。
国際的な制裁の中で，活発なタイの民間企業の進出について，日本や米国の企業が進出しているが，これらの資金手当はどのように進んでいるのか，日本政府もまだ融資保証を決断できる状況にはなく，これらを見越したうえでの，残された大きなマーケットへの密かな進出を見て，正直驚いている。ますますその発言権を失って行くスーチー女史を中心とした民主派と現政権との間の今後はどうなって行くのか，注目したい。
New contracts still to be signed Yuthana Priwan
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has agreed to purchase
700 megawatts of electricity from Laos's Nam Ngum 2 and 3 dams, Egat's
deputy governor Boonchu Direkstaporn said yesterday.
The Thai government has agreed in principle to purchase 3,000 MW from Laos
by 2006. The two governments had earlier secured three agreements to purchase
210 MW from Namtern-Hinboon hydro power project, 124 MW from Huay Hoh project
and 680 MW from the Hongsa Lignite project.
Under the 25-year contract, the average electricity price from the two
projects would be about 5.7 baht per unit. The power supply would come
on line in December 2002. However, Mr Boonchu said the memorandum would
not be signed until August while the purchasing agreement was not expected
to be ratified until April next year. Egat's power deal is subject to approval,
in the initial stage, by the National Economic and Social Development Board.
Once that is granted the deal will be submitted to cabinet.
The Nam Ngum 2 power project is run by MDX Power Co and the Laotian government,
which holds equity stakes of 55% and 45% respectively. The ultimate capacity
of the Nam Ngum 2 project is estimated at about 500 MW. The Nam Ngum 3
project is a joint venture between Sri U-tong Co, Ch Karnchang Plc and
other foreign firms. The power generating capacity is about 440 MW.
Thailand's electricity consumption is expected to reach 17,500 MW this
year, rising to 29,202 MW by 2001 and 39,240 MW by 2006. According to Egat's
plan, the authority would control 59.5% of the total electricity supply
in 2006. Another 20.7% would come from the Independent Power Producer project,
6.1% from Small Power Producers Project, 5.2% from The Electricity Generating
Plc and 8.5% from power projects in Laos.
６月２０日付けバンコクポストは，タイの電力公社ＥＧＡＴが，ラオスのＩＰＰ計画
Nam Ngum 第２と第３の二つの水力計画の買電に応ずる旨，副総裁のブンチュー氏が語ったとのこと，正式な契約は政府の同意を待って行われる。買電単価は５.７バーツ（約２５円）で相当に高い値段である。果たしてタイ国内のＩＰＰと競争できるのであろうか，或いはもっと政治的な決断なのであろうか。
両計画は，既設ナムグムダムの上流に位置するもので，合計９４０ＭＷであり，２００２年１２月に完成と報じている。特に第２計画はその４５％をラオス政府の持ち分としており，この費用は恐らくタイのＭＤＸ社（ジョイントの相手方）がその資金手当を約束しているはずであり，今後どのような形で資金を準備して行くのか，注目したい。
何れにしても，両計画とも公的資金が入っていなかったので，工事はスムーズに進んでいる模様で，今世界銀行の資金を頼りにして環境で行き詰まっている
Nam Theun 第２計画の陰に隠れる形で進んでいるところが面白い。ナムテンを環境団体に対するスケープゴートにして，世論が揉めている間にそっと山奥の大計画を完成してしまう，このような進め方もあるのかな。
この既設ナムグムダムの上流は，急流有り水も豊富で電源河川としては優れたもので，一貫開発計画が更に練られておれば良かったと思う。上流は中小水力の開発に，まだまだ多くの包蔵水力が秘められている。
Copyright 1997 Reuters Ltd. All rights reserved. The following news report
may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the
prior written consent of Reuters Ltd.
HANOI, July 2 (Reuter) - Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was
due to arrive in Vietnam on Wednesday to reinforce bilateral ties and mark
the start of work on an aid project to build a bridge over the Mekong River.
Downer will meet Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh
Cam and Minister for Planning and Investment Tran Xuan Gia, formally open
Canberra's new embassy in Hanoi and attend the ground-breaking ceremony
for the Australian $83 million (US$62.5 million) My Thuan bridge. He will
also make a break in the middle of his visit to Vietnam with a one-day
trip to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.
Diplomats in Hanoi said Downer would focus on trade and economic cooperation
in his talks on Australia's relationship with Vietnam. Australia is one
of Hanoi's top aid donors, a key trading partner and ranks 12th among foreign
investors in Vietnam. However, the diplomats said Downer was unlikely to
leave out the thorny issue of Hanoi's human rights record. Downer raised
concerns about human rights when Cam visited Australia in February. The
two men clashed in 1995 when Downer was foreign affairs spokesman for the
then Liberal-National opposition, with Downer saying he had raised human
rights in discussions and Cam saying that the subject had not come up.
Australia and Vietnam crossed swords in 1994 and 1995 over the membership
of a parliamentary delegation that Canberra wanted to send to Hanoi to
discuss human rights. The delegation was first cancelled, then revived
and rescheduled but only on Hanoi's condition that it would not seek to
interfere in Vietnam's internal affairs.
Canberra came under pressure from Hanoi last year over a decision to review
the former Labor administration's promise of two-thirds funding for the
A$83 million bridge project. After months of doubt, Downer announced during
a visit in July to Hanoi that the project would proceed. The 1.535 km (one
mile) cable-suspended bridge, which will have four lanes for traffic and
two footpaths, will replace a ferry service which each day transports more
than 20,000 people, 400 tonnes of freight and thousands of vehicles. The
bridge, the first across the Mekong in Vietnam, will be 2,000 km (1,250
miles) downstream from the Australian-built Friendship Bridge which links
Thailand and Laos.
REUTER
ベトナムのメコンデルタを訪ねたのが,1992年であった。この時,メコン川をフェリーで越えたが,メコン及びバサックの二つの川を横切るのに大変な時間を要した。メコンは，ベトナムの中では有数の農業地帯であり農産物がこれらの川を横断して，ホーチミン方面に運ばれて行く，川が大変なネックになっているわけで，縦横に走るカナルが重要な役割を果たしていた。どうしても橋がほしいというベトナムが，何とか日本の無償協力が得られないか，と考えたが，当時は経済制裁下にあって，日本としてもメコン委員会を通しての国際的なプロジェクトならともかく，これは国内のプロジェクトであり協力困難だ，と言っていたことを思い出す。そのうちにオーストラリアが協力を申し出，方向が決まったが，このニュースに見られるとおり，人権問題で長く懸案となっていた。ここにやっとドーナー外相がベトナムを訪ね，着工式に漕ぎ着けたわけである。83億円，橋長約1マイルで，4車線のすばらしい設計のようだ。