Laos-Singapore power purchase possible
Laos-Singapore power purchase possible
The potential development of an electricity grid linking Laos and Singapore and trading in electricity is possible as Thailand and Malaysia would also benefit from the project, according to its backers.
“We will have a discussion on the project study in Thailand next month with participants from Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore,” said Director General of Ministry of Energy and Mines’ Energy Policy and Planning Department, Dr Daovong Phonekeo.
The project study is expected to be conducted soon. “However we cannot say when this project will be complete,” Dr Daovong said.
“The study will be mainly on the regulations and laws of each country because it is a very import phase that will promote the project running smoothly,” he said.
Another facet that will push the project is the fact that Lao electric transmission lines are already connected with Thailand’s while the Thai network is connected with Malaysia’s and the Malaysian transmission line is connected with Singapore.
Thailand and Malaysia would also benefit from this arrangement because the power goes through their territories and they can carry out some sort of relay power trade in between.
“So another study is necessary to see if the existing transmission lines of each country need upgrading,” Dr Daovong said.
He explained that this project will not only allow Laos to sell electricity to Singapore but also purchase electricity from other countries when it experiences shortages due to low river flows.
“Once this project achieves success it will be a good model or sample project that other Asean member countries can use in the future,” Dr Daovong added.
Singapore has agreed in principle to purchase 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Laos under the pilot scheme, while Thailand and Malaysia have offered their support.
Laos will push for the acceleration of energy integration under the Asean Power Grid (APG) to address the imbalance in the distribution of power-generating resources in the region.
The move comes after energy integration has been talked about for years but the project has not progressed and the situation remains largely as before.
Any integration was mainly conducted among neighbouring countries, not broadly and systematically connected to the wider Asean countries.
The Asean Power Grid aims to connect countries with surplus power generation capacity to those who face a deficit.
The intention is to link up power lines in the 10 Asean nations by 2020, but there is still a need to further harmonise business regulations, technical standards and systems that impact the interconnection of national power grids.
Laos now has 24 operational power plants from 1MW upwards with a total installed capacity of 3,250MW. Combined, these are generating more than 16,100GWh of electricity annually for local and export markets.
The Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr Viraphonh Viravong, said at a meeting in April that the rich water resource that is the Mekong River and its tributaries gives Laos the potential to develop more than 25,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
The Lao government is actively promoting renewable energy development, including the nation’s hydropower resources to increase electricity production and supply power for both domestic use and export to neighbouring countries.
Minister of Energy and Mines Mr Soulivong Daravong highlighted at the 29th Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting held in Brunei in 2011 that Laos can help Asean countries to reduce their use of fossil fuels, which are the main source of greenhouse gas emissions and importantly can help Asean to stabilise its power supply.
