Laos Set to Promote Renewable Energy, Stepping towards Becoming the “Battery of ASEAN”

The Ministry of Energy and Mines of Lao PDR led representatives to visit the largest wind farm in Australia to study the management of wind and hydro power integration for all year round electricity production, in preparation to become the “Battery of ASEAN”. 

On 31 October – 4 November 2016, a team of representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, led by H.E. Viraphonh Viravong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, has visited the 420 megawatts Macarthur Wind Farm located in Macarthur, Victoria, Australia, the largest of its kind in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere. The team has also attended a seminar on the topic of “Wind Technology and Hydro-Wind Grid Integration” organized by Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest producer of clean energy, which currently holds hydro and wind power plants with a total capacity of over 2,600 megawatts, aimed at producing a stable supply of electricity sold within Tasmania and additionally exported to Victoria. 

Through this seminar, ministry representatives of Lao PDR gained insight on managing the integration of hydro and wind power to optimize its power production efficiency as well as increase its system stability to be able to produce electricity all year round. In this case, hydro power acts as a battery that is fully fueled in rainy seasons, while wind power assists in charging the battery during dry seasons. 

This visit to the wind farm and seminar has brought further confidence and determination to Lao PDR in pushing forward its initiative to become the “Battery of ASEAN” towards success. By adopting the concept of integrating both hydro and wind power, electricity can be produced seamlessly with increased efficiency and stability for the nation, as well as for exporting to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and other neighboring countries with constantly rising demands in energy consumption.