Thai company to build 600 MW wind farm in Laos - report

Impact Energy Asia Co Ltd will develop the 600-MW Monsoon wind project in southern Laos under an agreement signed by the Lao government and Thai renewables firm last Friday, The Nation reported.

The wind farm will be located near the Mekong River across from Ubon Ratchathani, said Woramol Khamkanist, manager of the developer, which is a project company of Impact Electrons Siam Co Ltd.

The investment involved is valued at USD 1.5 billion (EUR 1.4bn). The start of operation is planned for 2019.

Early development of the project started back in 2012 when Impact Energy Asia Co Ltd signed an exclusive development memorandum of understanding with the Lao Government. The company has since completed wind measurement, feasibility study and environment impact assessment study. During construction it will also clear the site where the wind farm will be built of many explosive devices left from the Indochina conflict in the 1960s and '70s.

About 95% of the power output of the Monsoon wind farm is expected to be sold to Asean markets, mainly to Thailand and buyers bordering the Mekong. The project will also play a key role in the Asean Power Grid Policy to sell power from Laos via Thai and Malaysia grids to Singapore.
This is the first energy project in Laos to be granted to a Thai company, the Nation noted. Previously, only Thai state agencies have been involved in power projects.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.913)

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