Hanoi – The Lao Government has taken a significant step towards renewable energy development by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Naseng Wayo Renewable Development and Investment Co. Ltd, affiliated with the US’s UPC Renewable Group. The agreement, signed on November 13, focuses on conducting a feasibility study for wind power projects in the Savannakhet province, along with developing a 500 kV power transmission line and transformer station project.
According to Vietnam News Agency, Naseng-Wayo and UPC Renewables will have the opportunity to explore wind energy development in the Phine, Vilabuli, and Atsaphone districts of Savannakhet province. They will also develop 500 kV transformer stations and a power transmission line connecting to neighboring countries for the purpose of exporting electricity.
This initiative is part of several renewable energy projects undertaken by the Lao government with various partners. The goal is to harness clean energy, thereby promoting sustainable economic development and achieving the country’s ambition of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In a related development, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone recently attended a ceremony marking the installation of the first turbine at the 600 MW Monsoon Wind Power Project in Dakcheung district, Xekong province. This project, set to be the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia, will feature 133 turbines and has an estimated construction cost of 900 million USD.
Hydropower currently constitutes about 70% of Laos’s total electricity production, and the country has approximately 10 wind power projects, totaling a design capacity of 3.6 GW, in the planning stages. About 80% of the power generated in Laos is exported to neighboring countries, primarily Thailand and Vietnam.