Water technology company Xylem Inc has won a US$19.6 million contract to provide custom-made Flygt pumps to help fish navigate the Xayaburi run-of-river hydropower dam in Lao PDR.

Located on the Mekong River in the town of Xayaburi, several independent fish passage facilities are included in the design of the dam to accommodate the more than 200 species of fish that inhabit the dam site for spawning and/or dry-season refuge.

Xylem’s Flygt AC series customized column pumps have been designed to match the specified pump configuration, hydraulic and materials requirements of the project, and will be used to help facilitate fish migration through or around the dam structure.

“Xylem has more than 140 years of engineering expertise with the Flygt brand and has designed and manufactured some of the world’s largest pumps with high pump efficiencies," said Allan Hendry, vice president and regional director for Xylem Greater Asia. "The collaboration between the Xylem team, local subcontractors and project consultants, coupled with the customized design of our large Flygt Pumps, were key success factors in securing this contract."

Construction of the US$3.5 billion Xayaburi dam began in 2012. Commercial operation is slated to begin in 2019.