Secure power supply to boost industry in 2015
Secure power supply to boost industry in 2015
Laos will have a sufficient supply of electricity to boost industry development in 2015-16, according to a senior government official.
Speaking at a meeting of government and business leaders in Vientiane last week, Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr Soulivong Daravong said a number of hydropower plants were now under construction and expected to be completed and begin commercial operation in 2015-16.
Most of the power plants would generate electricity mainly for the domestic market after the substantial increase in power demand over the past few years, he said.
At present, despite Laos having 24 hydropower plants with a combined generating capacity of 3,000 MW most of them generate electricity for export. This forces the country to re-import electricity for domestic consumption amid rising industry development in the country.
Residents have complained that the country should have sufficient power supply and sh ould not have to import electricity for domestic consumption as Laos is a major electricity producer in Asean.
Mr Soulivong said 15 hydropower plants with a combined electricity generating capacity of around 1070MW were being constructed to produce power for dome stic consumption only.
Once these power plants generated power, the country would have sufficient energy to boost economic development, he said.
According to a report from Ministry of Energy and Mines, the seven power plants which will start energy generation next year are Hongsa Mine-Mouth Power Project, Nam Ngiep 2, Nam Beng, Nam Kong 2, Nam Khan 2, Houay Lamphannyai and Nam Hinboun in the provinces of Xayaboury, Xieng Khuang, Oudomxay, Attapeu, Luang Prabang, Xekong and Khammuan.
Five power plants are also scheduled to commence generation in 2016, which includes Nam Sim, Nam Lik 1, Nam Mang 1, Nam Khan 3 and Xekaman 1 in the provinces of Huaphan, Vientiane, Borikhamxay, Xieng Khuang and Attapeu.
Mr Soulivong said one of the major concerns was that once the power plants begin commercial operation, there would not be enough factories to consume the power and it would cost a lot of money for electricity-distributing firms to reserve the power.
Laos has the potential to build more than a hundred dams with total combined power consumption of 28,000 MW.
He said Laos could sell the reserved power to neighbouring countries but the price would not be as high due to the lack of a power-purchasing agreement.
Mr Soulivong urged business people to help the country reduce electricity consumption.
The rapid increase of power consumption due to the hot wea ther had caused a shutdown of the power supply, he said.
Mr Soulivong also said the energy and mines ministry had issued a notice to factories to stop running from 6pm to 10pm as part of an effort to secure power supply during the peak period.
vientiane times
