HANOI, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Power Grid plans to begin work on the Nam Tha 1 hydroelectric project in Laos' northern Bokeo province early next year, Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Tuesday.

    Capitalized at 65.7 billion kip (some 340 million U.S. dollars),the 168-MW power plant is scheduled to become operational by November 2011, the newspaper quoted Laos' Electricity Department as reporting.

    The electricity generated by the future plant will be used domestically and exported to neighboring countries.

    The Chinese power firm signed with the Lao government an agreement on the project last August, and conducted an engineering survey, a geological survey and an environmental and social impact assessment last November, the newspaper said.