Over 100 rural villages in Houaphan to enjoy electricity by 2012

(KPL) 124 villages in Phathy area, Viengthong district, northeast province of Houaphanh will enjoy electricity access in the next two years after a contract on installation of 22/0.4 KV transmission line was signed last Friday.

The Government has agreed to invest 18.2 billion kip in the expansion of electricity network systems of 22 KV stretching 369 km and 130.5 km long of 0.4 KV access to these villages, said Director General of Ministry of Energy and Mining's Energy Department, Mr Chalern Inthavong.

The contract signed between Head of Ministry of Energy and Mining's Energy Department, Mr Chalern Inthavong and Director of Hung Heung Electrical Construction Company Mr Phongphet Phanyasili, at Lao Plaza Hotel, on 16 July.

The contract was stipulated that the Hung Heung Electrical Construction, a contractor company will install transmission line access to the Phathy area to be completed within 30 months.

This project is a part of government plan to promote the socio-economic development and improve the living conditions of people in rural areas, he continued.

He stated further that the Government also expected to sign more contracts with constructing companies to expand more the power grid network linking Sam Nuea to Viengthong districts, Viengsay to Samtay districts and some development village cluster in the near future.

Presently, Electricite du Laos heeds its master plan on 115 KV power grid expansion networks nationwide.

The Electricite du Laos, a main supplier company is on mission of power grid installation linking Peak district of Xiengkhouang province to Sam Nuea district of Houaphanh province, which expects to be completed by 2012.

Last year's statistic of Houaphanh province showed that about 37 percent of household of eight districts in the province were accessible by electricity.

Five districts of them, imported electricity from neighbouring country of Vietnam and the rest used electricity generating from small scale hydropower project, said Head of Ministry of Energy and Mining's Planning Department, Mr KoneThong Phoumiphon.