Laos, September 2022: The price of electricity is 0.034 U.S. Dollar per kWh for households and 0.000 U.S. Dollar for businesses which includes all components of the electricity bill such as the cost of power, distribution and taxes.
The Xayaburi Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest in Laos, was completed in 2019. A more powerful dam on the Mekong River is already in the pipeline. VIENTIANE: With electricity exports to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia and even Singapore, Laos has arguably realised its ambition to be the battery of Southeast Asia.
Chanthaboun acknowledged the energy sector’s debt and said Electricite du Laos has “invested a lot” in power transmission and substations to give Lao citizens — spread over a “quite large” land area — access to electricity. Electricite du Laos has built a “huge network", said managing director Chanthaboun Soukaloun.
“It’ll help to stabilise the (electricity) supply.” During the dry season, when Laos experiences an energy deficit, it buys back what it has exported to Thailand. But this is at about twice the initial sale price, which does not make economic sense, said Lee. Gary Lee is the Southeast Asia programme director of International Rivers.
The company is also looking at other forms of clean energy. He said its current solar capacity is about 80 megawatts, while Laos also has “quite large” wind power potential, especially near the Vietnamese border. He cited a 600-megawatt wind farm being developed, which will supply power to Vietnam.
More than two thirds of its current hydropower capacity in operation is exported, and he said the power sector’s contribution to Laos’ gross domestic product (GDP) is approaching 15 per cent. Dr Daovong Phonekeo was appointed as minister of energy and mines last year.