Kyrgyzstan has launched a $200 million hydroelectric power station, wire services reported. The hydro project is located on Kyrgyzstan's Naryn River.

Construction has begun on Russia's Nizhnyaya Bureya hydropower plant, news services reported. The RusHydro hydropower plant will have four generating units with the total power output of 320 MW.

The 2,400-MW HidroItuango hydropower project being developed by the local development agency of Colombia's Antioquia department (IDEA) and Medellin-based multi-utility EPM is progressing on schedule, with construction expected to begin in 2013, a spokesperson for project developers told wire services.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed the concession contract for the construction of the 11,200-MW Belo Monte hydropower plant in Brazil's Amazon, according to news services.

Electricity sector leaders in Laos have said the country will build at least two hydropower plants every year until 2020, according to wire reports from the region.

A consortium of South Korean and Thai firms have signed an agreement to build a $900 million hydropower plant in Laos, company officials told wire services.

Santo Antonio Energia aims to launch commercial operations at the 3,150-MW Santo Antonio hydropower project in Brazil by December 2011, a spokesperson for the firm told wire services.

RusHydro, Russia's largest hydroelectric power producer, plans to launch the Kashkhatau hydropower plant in the Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria on Aug. 31, 2010, news agencies reported.

Brazil-based infrastructure and energy services company Triunfo has launched test operations at the second generation unit at its 116-MW Salto hydropower plant, a spokesperson for the group told wire services.

Plutonic Power Corporation and GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE, announced that their Toba Montrose General Partnership has commenced selling electricity to BC Hydro under an Electricity Purchase Agreement from power generated by the East Toba River and Montrose Creek hydropower generation facilities.

Hydroelectric power firm NHPC Ltd. has commenced commercial operations of all three units of the 120-MW Sewa II hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir, according to wire reports from the region.

Brazil's 1,087-MW Estreito hydro plant will begin test operations in December, a spokesperson for the consortium building the hydropower project told wire services.

Allain Duhangan Hydro Project Limited (ADHPL) has announced the commissioning of the first phase of a 192-MW hydropower project at Manali in Himachal Pradesh, regional media reported.

Brazilian pension fund Petros will have a 10 percent stake, while the Funcef pension fund will hold 2.5 percent. The Caixa Fi Cevics and Bolzano Participacoes investments funds will hold 5 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

The renewable energy development unit of Philippine National Oil Corp., PNOC Renewables Corp., plans to spend more than $335 million to develop hydropower projects, wire services reported.