EDL accelerates to clear electricity bad debts for Vientiane

(KPL) The Electricite du Laos (EDL) branch in Vientiane province has
accelerated to clear bad debts of electricity bills amounting to nearly 10 billion kip.
Acting Head of the Electricite du Laos branch in Vientiane province, Mr. Boun-oum Chanthalasy said currently Electricite du Laos�s debtors were government bodies, water pump stations of irrigation facilities, hotels and apartments, general businesses, entertainment sites and industrial factories.
Mr. Boun-oum said that the major debtor was Vientiane Province Administration Office with four billion kip, in which 1.5 billion kip has been unpaid since 2005.
Water pump stations owed over 4.3 billion kip and the rest are hotels and apartments, businesses, entertainment sites and industrial factories in the province.
Last December, the Electricite du Laos and the Finance Service of Vientiane province held a meeting in its efforts to settle the matter.
Electricite du Laos has presented two ways to the provincial finance service by setting up a new account for electricity debt clearance of state bodies in Vientiane province. For the other option, the Vientiane Administration Office was advised to use its provincial budget for clearing the bad debt of electricity bills. However, the two proposals are under consideration.

Thateng to electrify all its villages within 2010

(KPL) The Thateng Energy and Mining Office of Sekong province plans to increase the number of villages accessing electricity supply by 17, meaning that all villages in the district will gain an access to electricity by the end of this year.
�Thirty-eight villages or almost 70 per cent of villages in the district have gained an access to electricity so far,� said Head of the Thateng Energy and Mining Office Mr. Kin
thachack Phommachanh.
Over the last one year, the office has made an effort in the expansion and installation of power grid in 15 target villages across the district and over 90-km 22-kv power grid, 72-km 0.4-kv power line and over 1,100 electricity posts have been installed, according to Mr. Kinthachack.

Electricity supply in Saravane returns to normal

KPL) Electricite du Laos branch in Saravane province has put in about 108 million kip to restore the power grids hit by the tropical typhoon Ketsana.
Presently the staff of Electricite du Laos branch in Saravane province has completed the reinstallation and repair of the transmission line system in five districts of Nakhonpheng, Khong Sedon, Lao-ngam, Samouai and Ta-oi.
The achievements include the reinstallation of nine poles of medium-voltage transmission line and two poles of low-voltage electricity line in Nakhonpheng district, three poles in Khong Sedon district, two poles in Lao-ngam district with reinstallation of electricity line, two poles of medium-voltage in Samouai district and two poles of medium-voltage in Ta-oi district.

115-KV power grid installation project for Phonsavanh and Samneua

(KPL) A ground-breaking ceremony to commence a 115-KV transmission line installation project from Phonsavanh in Xiengkhouang province to Samneua in Houaphanh province was held on 24 December in Houaphanh province.
The installation will be carried out by a Chinese company with an investment of US$30.4 million, which is a loan from the Chinese government released to the Lao PDR. The construction is scheduled to be complete in two years.
The power grid installation from Phonsavanh to Samneua in Houaphanh province will stretch for 200 km.
The project includes the construction of a 115-KV substation at Thongnakhek village, Samneua district of the northeastern Houaphanh province.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Mining, Mr. Soulivong Dalavong; Governor of Houaphanh province, Dr. Phankham Viphavan; Acting Governor of Xiengkhouang province, Mr. Viengthanome Phommachanh, and officials concerned attended the ceremony.

Champassak: 101 villages to have small scale hydropower plants

(KPL) 101 villages in two districts Soukhoumma and Bachieng Chaleunsouk in Champasak province have reportedly an access to electricity generated by small scale hydropower plants.
The Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF) held a meeting early this month in the southernmost province to discuss the construction of small scale hydropower plants on streams and rivers in the two districts.
The construction of small scale hydropower plants is among efforts of the Poverty Reduction Fund to improve living condition of the poor in target areas by promoting basic infrastructure development and vocational training.