Government goes ahead Hongsa lignite power plant

(KPL) The Government has given a license to the Pouphai Mining Company in exploration of lignite and the Hongsa Power Company Ltd in conducting a concession of the construction of Hongsa fired power electricity plant with the generation capacity of 1,878 megawatts in Sayaboury province.
Two concessions were signed in Vientiane Capital on 30 November between Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Thongmy Phomvisay, Director General of Energy Promotion and Development, Mr Saypraseuth Phomsoupha and two representatives from two investing companies of the Hongsa power Limited and the Pouphai Mining Company.
The Construction of Hongsa Fired Power Plant Project has been effective, thanks to Lao and Thai Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase of 7,000 megawatts to Thailand in 2007. Under the MoU, the Hongsa Power Plant will supply electricity to Thailand by 2015.
This is thanks to the existing cooperation between Laos and Thailand, and in response to the Thailand's demand on electricity and socio-economic development of Laos.
The construction was a joint venture US$4 billion Hongsa lignite fired power plant in Sayaboury province. The project shareholders are the Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Public Company (RATCH), Banpu Power Limited (BPP) and Lao Holding State Enterprise (LHSE) to construct lignite mining and electricity generation facilities on a 60 square km site in Hongsa district, more than 300 km from Vientiane Capital.
The concession period begins on the execution date and ends 25 years after the commercial operation date of the project, according to the agreement.
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has agreed to purchase 1,473 MW from the plant in accordance with the Tariff Memorandum of Understanding signed in May this year.
About 100 MW of power will be sold to the Electricite du Laos for domestic consumption, to give a boost to local socio-economic development. The remaining power will be used by the project for internal mining and power generating operations.
Thai companies BPP and RATCH each hold a 40 percent stake in the project while LHSE holds 20 percent.
The LHSE, BPP will utilise extensive mining and power project development experiences to provide necessary support for the project while RATCH will provide its expertise in power project development to ensure the project uses the most up-to-date and efficient technologies.
LHSE has valuable power development experience in Laos and will ensure the necessary coordination with local authorities.

23 villages in Mork district to get wired next year

(KPL) Twenty-three villages in Mork district, Xiengkhouang province, are expected to have an access to electricity in April 2010. The Electricity du Laos signed an agreement on such development project with the Lao Electricity Installation and Construction State Enterprise last week. The signatories to the agreement were Director of the Electricity du Laos, Mr.Khammany Inthirath, and Director of the Lao Electricity Construction and Installation State Enterprise, Mr. Amphone Phommachanh. 

Mork is a remote district in Xiengkhouang province. As it is located very far away from the heart of the province people in the district find themselves facing difficulties in access to basic infrastructure such as electricity, said Mr. Amphone. He added that the power grid the company would have installed and constructed for the 23 villages in Mork district would be fundamental to helping other northern provinces get access to more electricity in the future.

Electricity visits three villages in Phouvong district

(KPL) Three villages Numkong, Vingxay Phouvong and Vonglakhone in Phouvong district, Attapeu province, have been connected to electricity. The Lao Telecom has spent 1.46 billion kip to install the power grid for the villages which totally house over 365 families.
The installation began in July and was over in September this year.
The handover of the newly installed power grid was held at Attapeu Palate Hotel on October 22 with the presence of Mr. Thansamai Kommasit, Director of Lao Telecom; Mr. Amphone Phommachan, Director of Construction State-enterprise; Mr. Synai Mienlavanh, Governor of Attapeu province and also Governor of Phouvong district and local authorities.
The Lao Telecom also provided 50 million kip to the victims of the flood and Ketsana typhoon in Phouvong district and the Construction State-enterprise provided five tones of rice amounting at 19.5 million kip to the victims.

Government invests 33 billion kip in electrification in Luang Namtha

(KPL) The government has invested 33 billion kip in the installation of electricity network from the municipality of Luang Numtha to Viengphouka district in a bid to reduce poverty in the
area.
A contract for installing the electricity network was signed in Luang Namtha province last week.
The signatories to the document were representatives of the Energy and Mining Service of Luang Namtha province and the Luang Prabang Electricity Network Construction and Transmission Installation Company.
Taking part in the event were Mr. Phimmasone Leuangkhamma, Luang Namtha Governor and Mr. Somboun Lasasombath, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mining.
The investment would be spent on the installation of 22-Kilovolt and 0.4-Kilovolt transmission line, which will take 12 months.

Namor sub-station to supply power for northern Laos

(KPL) Northern provinces will soon use electricity from a 115-kv Namor sub-station in Namor district, Oudomsay province.
The construction of the Namor sub-station and the installation of a 35-km long power grid from Boten in Luang Namtha province, are being carried out with a loan of 6 million US dollars from the Chinese government. The installation is being implemented by the Yunnan Electricity Company.
The Lao government has agreed to buy electricity from China for northern provinces Luang Prabang, Oudomsay, Luang Namtha, Bokeo and Phongsaly. The imported power from China will be supplied by the Namor sub-station.
Both the construction of the Namoh sub-station and the power grid is expected to be completed before the 25th SEA Games, which will be hosted in Vientiane on December 9-18, 2009.
The contractor has already completed 82 per cent of the power grid installation, meanwhile the construction of the Namor sub-station is completed by 27 per cent, said director of the Oudomsay Electricity Company, Mr. Khamlak Inthilath, on Tuesday.