The Xekhaman III hydropower plant in Xekong province has not been generating electricity for a few days since a pipe that delivers water to the turbine developed a leak.
Head of the province’s Administration Office, Mr Khanty Silavongsa, told Vientiane Times on Monday that the pipe became unserviceable last Friday.
We don’t know the details of the problem because technicians are still carrying out checks, he said.
An official from Xekong province, who asked not to be named, said the power plant was located in Dakcheung district but power supplies there had not been cut off because the district’s electricity did not come from this particular dam.
He said he had heard it would take 10 days for technicians to fix the problem.
Social media showed a photo of a car at the dam that was covered in wet red soil after the pipe broke.
Looking to the future, Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to submit a master plan to develop power generation sources by 2025, emphasising the need to diversify supply sources and consider power supplies from Laos, Vietnam Net reported. There were no details concerning the amount of energy required.
According to Laos’ Ministry of Energy and Mines, Laos has sold 250MW of electricity generated by the Xekhaman III hydropower plant to Vietnam. The Xekhaman I dam is set to generate 290MW for Vietnam at the experimental-operations stage. Laos and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding in which Vietnam expressed its intention to buy as much as 5,000MW from Laos.
Laos is expected to generate 10,000MW by 2020, of which up to 75 percent is expected to be exported as domestic demand is forecast at only 25 percent.
By 2030, Laos’ power production capacity is expected to rise further to 20,000MW, which will be in excess of domestic demand and set for export to its neighbours.
Vietnam is looking to buy more power from Laos as the country’s requirements are considerable and growing, according to Vietnam Net.
Source: Vientiane Times
