Vientiane: Construction is underway on Laos' latest large-scale Mekong River dam, satellite imagery analyzed by Radio Free Asia shows. Experts told RFA that the Pak Beng hydropower project will be similar to other mainstream Mekong River dams, with Vientiane hopeful that sacrificing riparian ecosystems and relocating nearby villages will be worth the expected economic benefits. According to Radio Free Asia, with dozens of hydropower dams either built or under construction on the Mekong River and its tributaries, Laos has committed to its controversial economic strategy to become the Battery of Southeast Asia by selling electricity to neighboring countries. Pak Beng, when complete, will be the most upstream dam on the Mekong in Laos. It is a joint venture between a Chinese investment company and a Thai energy firm, boasting a generating capacity of 912 megawatts and expecting to produce an average of 4,775 gigawatt-hours annually-enough to power a mid-sized U.S. city for a year. Satellite imagery taken on Ju ly 29 shows a large earthen and rock embankment built across a bend in the river, creating a dry work area shielded from the river's flow. Within the diverted section, workers appear to be excavating and laying the foundation for the dam's main structure. Numerous dump trucks and excavators are visible cutting into bedrock and sediment on the riverbed and leveling the surface to prepare a foundation base for the dam, Bruce Songhak Chung, a senior researcher at the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Security Strategy, told RFA. According to the Mekong River Commission, preparatory works are underway, with the main construction scheduled to begin in October 2026, following the wet season. The commission is an intergovernmental organization that works with the governments of the four Mekong basin countries to jointly manage the shared water resources and the sustainable development of the Mekong. Work will start with the construction of the first-stage cofferdam, Mao said, adding that the developer expects commerc ial operations to begin in 2033. Meanwhile, further downstream, the Luang Prabang large-scale dam is more than 70% complete and will begin commercial operation in 2030 according to the commission. There are currently two operational dams and nine others in various stages of completion according to the Stimson Center. Eyler said there are more than 100 dams in Laos on Mekong tributaries, including the Xayaburi dam, the largest currently in operation. Additionally, Myanmar and Laos signed a joint agreement to develop a new 2,790-megawatt Mekong mainstream dam on July 5. Under this arrangement, the foreign construction company owns the dam for a set period-typically 20 to 30 years-collecting the income it generates, while the Lao government receives taxes and royalties, Eyler said. Many of the foreign players involved are Chinese firms or have Chinese backing, and critics are concerned that the arrangement ensnares Laos in a debt trap, making Vientiane increasingly malleable to Chinese creditors. Experts also warn the dams affect the livelihoods of local communities and carry significant environmental and social impact downstream with effects that accumulate as more dams are built along the river. The Mekong River Commission has raised four concerns: sediment trapping, fish passage, changes to the flow regime, and socioeconomic impacts on communities that depend on fisheries. According to the Stimson Center's Mekong Dam Monitor project, fisheries are depleting and declining for local people along the entire run of the Mekong in Laos. In a section of the river where the borders of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet, entire villages have become ghost towns as fish stocks have collapsed. Dams can also release large amounts of water suddenly, causing flooding downstream, Chung said. Residents of villages affected by flooding and construction could be forced to relocate, losing their homes and livelihoods.