Laos to construct at least 20 new hydro plants by 2020

Laos to construct at least 20 new hydro plants by 2020

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.

To date, the country has a total of 14 hydroelectric power plants, with a combined capacity of 2,540 MW, wire reports indicate.

Recently, Viet-Laos Power Joint Stock Company and Laos Electricity Corporation struck a deal to establish Xekaman 1 Electricity Co. Ltd. The agreement is designed to accelerate the Xekaman 1 hydroelectric power project, an important investment project between Vietnam and Laos.

The 322-MW Xekaman 1 project is being built at a cost of US$441 million on the Xekaman River in the Attopu Province of Laos.

In other news, the Nam Theun 2 hydropower project in Laos recently began commercial export of 1,000 MW of electricity to Thailand. The $1.45 billion project is co-owned by Electricite de France, the Lao government, the Electricity Generating Public Co. of Thailand and Italian-Thai Development.