The National Utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has broken ground on the construction of a power line to import electricity from Laos on 30 September, to combat the country’s chronic power shortage.
EVN is said to spend USD 45.36 million on the 45-kilometer power line, which will connect the Monsoon Wind Power Plant, to Thanh My Substation in the central province of Quang Nam, Vietnam.
Agribank, Vietnam’s Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development, will be providing loans for the project, which is set to be completed by the end of 2024. The power line will add 2,500 megawatts of electricity to tVietnam’s power grid.
EVN has been looking to increase its electricity purchase from Laos and China, as Vietnam faces a power shortage, with the available capacity of the national and northern power systems only about 42,000MW and 19,000MW in the peak afternoon, and 39,200MW and 18,000MW in the evening peak, respectively.
The Monsoon Wind Power Plant, is the largest wind power project in Southeast Asia with a capacity of 600 MW, consisting of 133 wind turbines and spread over 1,000 hectares of concession land. The construction of this ambitious project started in early April this year, and is expected to be completed in 2025.
Located in the hilly areas of Sekong and Attapeu provinces, with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 meters above sea level, the project is expected to be completed by 2025 and is contracted to export electricity to Vietnam for a period of 25 years.
