According to a report by the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines: 81% of electricity consumed in this country is from hydroelectricity and 17% is coal-fired and 2% from solar and biomass.
Currently, Laos has 90 power plants, with a total installed capacity of nearly 11,000 MW. Including 77 hydropower plants, 8 solar power plants, 4 biomass projects and 1 coal-fired power plant.
The Lao government has planned to increase the share of renewable energy to 11%, approved in the 5-year plan (period 2021 - 2025). Accordingly, the proportion of hydropower and coal-fired power sources will decrease to 75% and 14% respectively by 2025. This is part of Laos' efforts to ensure energy security and solve electricity shortages. during the dry season and minimize imports.
However, according to the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines: The biggest challenge for this country is that about 1,500 MW from hydroelectricity is wasted during the rainy season, while in the dry season, it has to import electricity from Thailand with more expensive rates (almost double) from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).
According to Dr. Sinava Souphanouvong - Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines of Laos: Although no new power plants have come into operation in the first 6 months of 2022, the Lao Government is accelerating the progress of construction of large-scale energy projects. approved in the Five-Year Plan and committed to accelerating the exploitation of the energy sector's potential so that more electricity can be sold to neighboring countries.
According to research results of the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Laos, the country has the capacity to produce 10,000 - 15,000 MW from solar power and about 100,000 MW from wind power.
Large-scale solar power development:
The Lao Government's action program started with the Attapeu solar power project (SAPP) with a total installed capacity of 50 MW, worth US$69.2 million (from a loan from the National Development Finance Corporation). DFC) and a 115 kV power transmission line in Attapeu province, invested by Solar Attapeu Power Sole Company Limited (SAPC). This project has just been started on August 12 in Xaysettha district, Attapeu province and is expected to start commercial operation by the end of 2023.
Power from SAPP will be sold to the State Electricity of Laos (lectricit du Las - EDL) under a power purchase agreement (PPA) lasting for 30 years.
Since 2014, the United States International Development Finance Corporation has cooperated with the Lao Government and several local authorities to select the location for the first large-scale solar power project development in Laos.
In July last year, the Lao Government and shareholders in Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Plant also signed a cooperation agreement with France's EDF Energy Group to develop the Nam Theun 2 floating solar power project - Solar. , the installed capacity is 240 MW. This floating solar power project is built on the reservoir of Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectricity (1.08 GW) in Khammuan province.
According to Nam Theun 2 Power Company: This is the largest mixed floating solar farm in the world, covering an area of 3.2 square kilometers.
This project aims to save water and store water for the dry season (when there is sunlight, floating panels help reduce water evaporation and use less water).
According to Mr. Jean-Philippe Buisson - EDF Vice President in charge of Asia: The Nam Theun - 2 Solar project will provide a clean, safe, reliable and competitive source of energy, with no major impact on the environment. school, or society. The concept of saving water here is an innovation to generate renewable electricity in a more reliable way.
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| Nam Theun - 2 Solar mixed floating solar farm in Khammuan province. Photo: EDF |
Giant wind farms:
According to the Asian Development Bank's 2022 Asian Development Outlook Report: Wind farms in Laos with the capacity to generate 1.6 GW are now planned (including the 600 MW Monsoon wind power project. , built near the Mekong River, in the provinces of Xekong and Attapeu, in the southeast of Laos, located about 22 km from the Laos-Vietnam border). When it comes into commercial operation, the power source will be exported to Vietnam.
The investor of this project is Thai Renewable Energy Company Impact Energy Asia Development Limited (IEAD), which is contributed capital by Hong Kong's Impact Wind Investment Limited (55%) and BCPG Public Company Limited based in Thailand ( 45%).
Monsoon wind power project is considered the first and largest cross-border wind power farm in Southeast Asia (up to now), with a total investment of about 930 million USD. This wind farm is expected to start commercial operation in 2025 and will be transferred to the Lao government after 25 years of concession.
The capacity of Monsoon wind farm will be expanded to more than double capacity (about 1.6 GW), of which, 95% of electricity is expected to be sold to the ASEAN market (mainly to Thailand). , Vietnam).
This project will play an important role in the ASEAN Power Grid Development Policy selling electricity from Laos to Vietnam and selling electricity from Laos through the grids of Thailand and Malaysia to Singapore.
In July 2020, the Prime Minister of Vietnam approved the policy of importing electricity from this project and directed EVN to build the necessary power transmission works in Vietnam.
One year later (July 2021), the Power Purchase Agreement between IEAD and EVN was signed and the Adjustment and Amendment Contract signed in January 2022. The entire electricity output from this project will be sold to Vietnam under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with EVN.
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| A wind gauge made by investors in Laos. |
In addition to the Monsoon wind farm, recently, the Lao Government has allowed Impact Electrons Siam Co., Ltd - a member of IEAD to carry out a feasibility study and environmental impact assessment at a wind farm called Xekong. , capacity of 1 GW. In February this year, Keppel Infrastructure Holdings, Impact Electrons Siam and Envision signed a memorandum of understanding on the potential scalability of this project.
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