VOA慢速英语2018--湄公河流域太阳能项目有所增加

Solar Projects Increase in the Mekong River Area

Solar and wind power projects are increasing in the area around the Mekong River in Southeast Asia.

One energy expert said that the developments call into question the financial viability¹ of major hydo-electric dams in the area.

Brian Eyler is Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia Program. He spoke² about the increase in solar power development at the third Mekong River Commission Summit in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province.

He said, in the last six months, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos have signed agreements to produce 6,000 megawatts of electricity from wind and solar.

Eyler said, “In January 2017, my team visited with Cambodia’s energy plant making the suggestion of incorporating more solar and wind into the power development plan. That was basically off the table in January 2017.”

He said that Cambodia has reorganized its energy industry in about a year. The country has planned to deploy³ solar power production.

Hyunjung Lee is a Senior Energy Economist⁴ at the Asian Development Bank.

She said technologies such as wind and solar were “going to hit the region very significantly."

Lee said, “The atmosphere in the region has been changed actually in the past one year even. So we see a lot of development can happen in solar and wind in the region and how it can happen actually in reality, not to repeat the experience of hydro.”

A Council Study of the Mekong River Commission warned of problems if too many hydropower dams are built on the river. The study warned of catastrophic results to the health of the river system if all the projects were built. Eleven dams are planned on the main river while more than 100 hydropower dams have been proposed to be built on tributary⁵ rivers.

Costs of solar energy are falling

In addition, the International Renewable Energy Agency said that the cost of solar power had fallen by 73 percent from 2010 to 2017. The cost is expected to fall below that of hydropower by 2020.

The world’s solar power capacity grew 32 percent. Ninety-four gigawatts were added in 2017. Renewable energy and solar power grew faster in Asia than anywhere else in the world.

At the same time, the amount of hydropower that has been commissioned around the world is the lowest it has been in ten years.

Jake Brunner is a Program Coordinator⁶ for the International Union for Conservation of Nature. He said solar power makes economic sense in Cambodia. Land in Cambodia has not been costly⁷ while energy demand has been high in neighboring southern Vietnam.

But, land is a sensitive issue in Cambodia. A Cambodian human rights group says that more than 500,000 people in the country have been affected⁸ by land conflicts.

A Cambodian government study described a way to produce solar power without using land. It recommended that, instead of building the proposed Sambor dam on the Mekong River, solar cells be placed on the existing reservoir there.

Gregory Thomas is an Executive Director of the Natural Heritage Institute. He told the people attending the third Mekong River Summit that it was possible to develop solar energy without using any land.

He said placing solar energy equipment on the water in a reservoir solves the problem of land conflict. He said such a project could be completed quickly at low cost.

Thomas said, “Such a project could be cost competitive and go online much quicker than a hydropower dam, with 100 megawatts deployable⁹ in (a) year.”

Large solar energy projects are being developed around the world.

In China, a 150 megawatt solar projects is being built on a lake. The lake used to be a deserted¹⁰ coal mine. It is expected to go into operation in May and provide power for about 15,000 homes.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

viability – n. capable of working, functioning, or developing adequately

plant – n. the land, buildings, machinery¹¹, apparatus¹² and fixtures¹³ employed in carrying on a trade or an industrial business

incorporate – v. to unite or work into something already existent so as to from an indistinguishable whole

region – n. an indefinite area of the world

significantly – adv. in a way that is large or important enough to be noticed or have an effect

catastrophic – n. a momentous¹⁴ tragic¹⁵ event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow¹⁶ or ruin

commission – v. bring something into working condition

reservoir – n. an artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity for use

go online – v. to make operational to connect to power system

1 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 tributary   

n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的

参考例句：

• There was a tributary road near the end of the village.村的尽头有条岔道。
• As the largest tributary of Jinsha river,Yalong river is abundant in hydropower resources.雅砻江是金沙江的最大支流，水力资源十分丰富。

6 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

7 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 deployable   

糟透的，可叹的，可悲的； 应受谴责的； 破旧的

参考例句：

• Here you can add and remove deployable languages and retail products. 您可以在这儿添加和删除可部署语言和零售产品。
• Deployable underwater Surveillance Systems-Analysis of Experimental Results. Part 3; Saclantcen rept. 可配置水下监视系统枣实验结果分析。第三部分。

10 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

11 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

12 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

13 fixtures   

（房屋等的）固定装置( fixture的名词复数 )； 如（浴盆、抽水马桶）； 固定在某位置的人或物； （定期定点举行的）体育活动

参考例句：

• The insurance policy covers the building and any fixtures contained therein. 保险单为这座大楼及其中所有的设施保了险。
• The fixtures had already been sold and the sum divided. 固定设备已经卖了，钱也分了。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

14 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

15 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

16 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。