The investment status in power projects for electricity importation from Laos to Vietnam

According to a report of Impact Energy Asia Development Limited (IEAD) - the investor of Monsoon Wind Power Project with a capacity of 600 MW the largest in ASEAN wind power project at the present, a total investment level of 930 million US$ developed at Lao Southeast direction in about 22 km from Lao-Vietnam border.

The Monsoon project implemented under Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Governments of Vietnam and Laos. The Vietnamese Prime Minister approved policy on electricity importation from this project to Vietnam by 2020 July and directed EVN to develop the necessary power transmission projects in Vietnam territories.

The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Contract for adjusting and modifying signed between EVN and IEAD by 2021 July for 25 years. The project expects to be put into commercial operation (COD) by the second quarter of 2025.

The power importation to Vietnam from Monsoon wind power project and group of hydropower projects of Xekong (3A, 3B and 5), Xekaman (2A, 2B) invested by Phongsubthavy (Laos) with a total capacity of 870 MW by 500 kV double line from Monsoon 500 kV transformer substation to 500 kV Thanh My transformer substation. The 500 kV line from Monsoon to Thanh My, includes 44 km on Vietnam territory invested by EVN and 22 km on Lao territory invested by IEAD.

Overview of the Monsoon Wind Power Plant project.

The 500 kV Monsoon – Thanh My system is the first 500 kV link for interconnecting Vietnam power system with the power system of the other countries.

For connecting the transmission power lines to 500 kV Thanh My transformer substation, it is necessary to expand current substation with the following items:

-Expanding two 500 kV feeders for 500 kV Thanh My - Monsoon double line frlocated about 22 km from the Laos – Restructuring 500 kV scheme of Thanh My substation from quadrilateral to one and half (1.5) including standby positions of 500 kV feeders for Thanh My – Quang Trach turn – Doc Soi line (4 circuits in 2021-2025 period) and Thanh My – Pleiku 2 (second circuit – in 2026-2030 period) according draft Power Development Planning (PDP) VIII.

-Reorganizing 220 kV current connecters before Thanh My substation and developing 500 kV feeders for power lines according to draft PDP VIII.

At present, EVN NPT assigned Power Management Board (PMB) to implement these items and NPT PMB is speeding up investment procedures for finalizing the project at 2024 December.

At the working meeting, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Tung asked IEAD to always exchange information with EVN NPT through the NPTPMB on Monsoon wind power project, 500 kV Monsoon – Thanh My line part on Lao territory and Monsoon 500 kV transformer substation. EVN NPT also assigned its units to maximally support NPTPMB in solving the investment and development procedures of the project and asked NPTPMB to focus the resources and speed up deploying procedures for finalizing the project in time.

The EVNNPT has also a working meeting in Vientiane with Lao Phongsubthavy (PGC), the investor of Nam Sum hydropower group and other hydropower plants in Laos.

PGC is a private company activated from 2001 and has the headquarters in Laos with main trade field as investment in hydro, wind, solar and coal thermal power projects.

Up to now, PGC assigned with EVN 7 MOUs on importing electricity of 26 hydropower projects from Laos to Vietnam, among which there are 14 PPAs with a total capacity of 471 MW and submitting to 2 Governments the police for importing to Vietnam about 1,000 MW.

At present, Vietnam imports power capacity of 1,500 MW from neighboring countries (700-800 MW from China and about 572 MW from Xekaman hydropower group in Southern Lao via 220 kV Xekaman 3 – 500 kV Thanh My transformer substation and Xekaman 1- Pleiku 2 lines) According to plan importing electricity from Laos to Vietnam in 2022 and following years as:

1/ The potentiality capacity imported to Vietnam from the Northern Laos is 4.000 MW via 4 transmission lines at 220 kV as: Nam Sum - Nong Cong double line (2xACSR 330/43) put into operation by 2022; Nam Mo – Tuong Duong double line (2xACSR 330/43) expected to be in operation by 2022; Nam Ou 5 – Dien Bien line being in investment process and expects in operation by 2023-2024 period and 500 kV Sam Neau – Ninh Binh line expects to be in operation in 2026-2030 period.

2/ The Central Lao region with large potential of the wind, hydro and thermal power projects including 2,000 MW Boualapha coal thermal power project expected to sell to Vietnam with a large capacity by 500 kV line to Ha Tinh 500 kV transformer substation.

3/ The Southern Lao region with a large hydropower potential expects to sell to Vietnam 3,329 MW, among that 1,711 MW (including 1,111 MW of hydropower projects and 600 MW from Monsoon wind power project).

The specific statuses of transmission lines for electricity transferring from Laos to Vietnam could be summarized as follow: The 220 kV Nam Sum switching station and 220 kV Nam Sum- Nong Cong line on Lao territory will be finalized in the second quarter of 2023. The total capacity of hydropower projects transferring to 220 kV Nam Sum switching station is 523 MW.

The 220 kV Nam Sum- Nong Cong line on Vietnam territory with a length of 130 km including 299 pole fundament positions (VT) with 80% VT in forest land of Que Phong, Quy Chau districts of Nghe An province and Nhu Thanh, Nhu Xuan, Nong Cong districts of Thanh Hoa province. The investment level of the project is 1,149 billion VND, the project was started in 2021 December and expected to be finalized in 2023 April.