The State-owned Electric Power Corporation of Laos, better known as Electricite du Laos (EDL), announced a comprehensive plan to strengthen the country’s electricity supply from the second quarter of 2025.
Speaking at a mid-year review meeting on 8 August, EDL General Director Akhomdeth Vongxay outlined that the focus is on launching new energy projects and upgrading the national grid to meet rising demand, prevent blackouts, and reduce reliance on electricity imports.
A top priority is to speed up the construction of the Nam Ngum 3 hydropower plant, which is expected to be completed by 2027.
According to Akhomdeth, once operational, this plant will provide additional power to the central region and reduce Laos’ dependence on imported electricity during the dry season.
Along with hydropower, EDL is advancing twelve large-scale solar power projects across the country, with a combined capacity of 680 megawatts.
Among these projects is a 50-megawatt solar farm already under construction in Khammouane Province’s Sino-Agripotas area.
Akhomdeth also highlighted efforts to promote small-scale solar installations of five megawatts or less nationwide during 2025 and 2026. These projects will be connected directly to local distribution networks to improve supply stability and reduce power outages.
In the first half of 2025, EDL installed 114 new transformer units with a total capacity of 17,095 kilovolt-amperes and replaced smaller power lines with larger ones. These upgrades have already improved power stability in urban areas and reduced voltage drops, problems that occur when power supply falls short of demand.
Similar upgrades will continue in the second half of the year and forward.
Power Infrastructure, Economic Outlook
The meeting also assessed the current state of Laos’ electricity infrastructure amid ongoing economic challenges.
Laos operates 103 electricity generation sources with a combined capacity of 4,930 megawatts.
The network includes 84 power stations with a total installed capacity of 9,114.5 megavolt-amperes, alongside high-voltage transmission lines of 500, 230, and 115 kilovolts stretching across thousands of kilometers. Medium- and low-voltage lines further reach towns and villages nationwide.
The distribution system includes over 41,000 transformers with a total capacity exceeding 7.1 million kilovolt-amperes, supplying nearly 1.8 million customers.
Akhomdeth expressed confidence that the combination of new power projects, ongoing grid upgrades, and improved system management will ensure Laos’ electricity supply remains stable, sufficient, and high-quality for households, businesses, and industries across the country.