Dr Akomdeth Vongsay.

Laos eyes closer energy links with other Asean nations

Laos is hoping to deepen cooperation to overcome the challenges in energy development with other Asean nations, with closer regional connectivity to be discussed at the Asean Energy Senior Officials Meeting in June.
The meeting will also discuss ways to further the transition to new alternative energy sources to mitigate the effects of climate change.
In addition, the region’s energy authorities will discuss the importance of integrating Asean electricity grids to ensure energy stability among member countries and the need to move forward to achieve set goals.
Lao energy authorities informed other Asean members about its priority energy plans at the Asean Special Senior Officials Meeting on Energy, which took place in Luang Prabang province last week.
The meeting was chaired by the Director General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Energy and Mines, and Laos’ Leading Senior Official on Energy, Dr Akomdeth Vongsay.
The meeting also outlined work planned for this year under Phase II of the Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation from 2016-2025.
This plan supports Laos’ 9th Energy and Mining Development Plan (2021-2025) and the Laos Electric Power Development Strategic Plan (2021-2030) which focuses on energy transition.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines will assess current energy sources and assess their impact on the environment, as well as identify potential alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydroelectric energy.
It will also consider new policies and regulations to promote the use of renewable energy, and investment in infrastructure and technology to make greater use of renewable energy sources.
At the same time, the ministry will work with other Asean countries to share best practices and resources around sustainable energy transition.
Asean Plan of Action on energy cooperation
The Ministry of Energy and Mines has set plans for 2024 based on Phase II of the Asean Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) from 2016-2025. This is an important reference document in the implementation of various strategic plans and action plans aimed at speeding up energy transition and enhancing Asean’s energy strength.
The plan aims to achieve the goals of energy security and stability, accessibility, affordability and sustainability for everyone in the Asean Community.
Phase III of the APAEC Cooperation Plan for 2026-2035 will see the implementation of various strategies to meet the challenges of energy transition in the midst of global energy changes.
Linking of Laos’ electricity grid to other Asean countries
Laos currently has energy links with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, some other Asean member countries, and China, which serve to enhance regional energy security.
One of these is the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia power integration project, under which Laos sells electricity to Malaysia through Thailand’s transmission system.
Installation of the 300MW power integration project was completed in 2021 and now transmits 32,863,055 kWh of energy, worth more than US$2.1 million.
The Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project is another important step in multilateral power purchase-sale cooperation to further the goal of an integrated Asean power grid.
From the date of signing of the Power Purchase Agreement on June 17, 2022 with a total installed capacity of 100MW, and since starting to supply electricity on June 23, 2022, from December 2022 until now, Electricite du Laos has transmitted about 266,330,000 kWh to Singapore worth a total of US$19.4 million.
Challenges for the Lao PDR’s energy integration
Laos still lacks adequate transmission systems and other power grid components to adequately modernise electricity transmission and create a strong power delivery backbone across the country.
With regard to linking power generation sources in the north to the south of Laos, there are many technical and financial problems that hinder the development of the national power grid.
To help address these challenges, the government has authorised the establishment of a national transmission company known as EDT-T, a joint venture between China’s state-owned energy enterprise and the state-owned Lao Electricity Enterprise.
EDL-T will greatly benefit Laos’ energy integration by developing a stable domestic electricity supply system that can serve large-scale industrial areas and build confidence among both domestic and foreign investors concerning Laos’ energy stability and security.
It is necessary to enhance the power distribution system and basic infrastructure, so that links can be made to the power grids of nearby countries such as China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
It has been proposed that in the rainy season each year EDL could store excess generated hydropower in China’s electricity system, and reimport it for use in the dry season when less power can be generated due to the lower level of rivers in Laos.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update February 20, 2024)