Laos upgrades management of electricity sector
Laos upgrades management of electricity sector
The Ministry of Energy and Mines will be better able to manage electricity production and supply thanks to technical support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
The 3rd joint coordinating committee of the I mprovement of Power Sector Management project met this week in Vientiane to review the progress of the project's activities and draft a roadmap for the future.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines Mr Khammany Inthirath and Chief Representative of the JICA Laos Office Dr Masato Togawa co-chaired the meeting, which was attended by 22 representatives from JICA, the Department of Energy Management and other parties.
In his opening remarks, Mr Khammany explained the background of the coordinating committee and the purpose of the cooperation project between JICA and the ministry, and expressed his appreciation of the progress made to date.
Dr Togawa stressed the importance of the ministry's role as the electricity regulator. “Upholding the balance between power promotion and regulation will not be easy. However, I believe the ministry has the will and the power to overcome this challenge,” he s aid.
The Department of Energy Management has been working closely with JICA experts to establish the Lao Electric Power Technical Standards (LEPTS) in a series of technical cooperation projects which began in May 2000.
This ongoing phase of the project began in October 2010 and will continue until March 2013, working to further improve managem ent of the sector.
In Laos, the energy sector plays an important role in socio-economic development. Many projects are being planned and implemented, including power source development and the improvement of the transmission and distribution network.
Based on the Lao government's request, JICA provided technical assistance to Laos through two previous projects, namely the Project on Electric Power Technical Standards, which ran from 2000 to 2003, and the Project for Lao Electric Power Technical Standards Promotion, which ran from 2005 to 2008.
According to officials, LEPTS compliance in the design, construction and operation of power facilities is the most significant requirement for the electricity sector, to ensure a stable energy supply throughout Laos.
Laos plans to become the “battery of Asia” by supplying power to other countries in the region. Thailand is a major buyer of hydropower, which is cheaper and cleaner than energy sourced from fossil fuels and gas. Vietnam also imports hydropower from Laos.
Laos has the potential to build more than 100 dams with a total installed electricity capacity of about 28,000MW. At present, the country has 17 operational dams with a combined installed power generation capacity of about 2,500MW.
vientiane times
