Nam Theun 1 Company Limited (NT1PC) prioritizes dam safety inspections, which are conducted regularly to inspect dam behavior, assess security, and prevent incidents that could affect lives and property. The instruments used for monitoring dam safety included 19 items and 563 inspection sensors. This also included earthquake inspection, Seepage Weir, Uplift Pressure Cell, and visual inspection.
On 25 April 2025, the Department of Energy Safety Management (DESM) under the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) conducted a quarterly routine dam safety monitoring at Nam Theun 1 Dam. During this monitoring, NT1PC technical staff, along with their operation and maintenance contractor, E&E, presented the dam safety inspection findings to the DESM, with a particular focus on the earthquake centered in Myanmar on 28 March 2025. The DESM also observed the dam’s structural condition.
In the three days following the earthquake, NT1PC conducted twice-daily dam inspections. The dam’s maximum acceleration withstand capacity is 0.32 g (Safety Evaluation Earthquake, SEE), which was compared to the measured acceleration of 0.00343 g (1.07%), confirming the Nam Theun 1 dam’s safety status.
NT1PC considers dam inspection a top priority due to its crucial role in ensuring the stability and safety of the people and the environment.