Illustrative photo (Source: Internet) Vientiane (VNA) - Laos and Myanmar are mulling over an electricity agreementto empower Laos' development needs, local daily Vientiane Times quoted a seniorLao official as saying on January 16.
DaovongPhonekeo, head of the Office of the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines toldVientiane Times that the two sides will sign a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) this week, allowing Myanmar authorities to initiate a feasibility study.
Myanmarwants to purchase about 100-200 MW, but that will depend on the results oftheir feasibility study, Daovong said.
Daovongsaid Laos would supply electricity to Myanmar through its northern power grids."If everything progresses as planned, we expect to start sellingelectricity to Myanmar by the end of this year or the beginning of nextyear."
Laoscurrently sells only 4-5 MW to Myanmar, which is a very small amount, and thetwo nations aim to increase it in the near future.
Accordingto a report from Myanmar media on January 13, Myanmar has adopted a NationalElectrification Plan under which it is planned that power will be availablenationwide by 2030.
Laoshas huge potential in hydropower, which can further drive economic growth. Thecountry currently has 46 power plants with a designed capacity of 6,757 MW,generating about 35,608 GWh of electricity annually, said the Vientiane Times.
Accordingto the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Laos is expected to generate 10,000 MW ofelectricity by 2020 and 20,000 MW by 2030, which will be far exceeding domesticdemand.
In September last year, Laos signed a tripartite electricity-tradingagreement with Thailand and Malaysia to sell 100 MW of electricity to Malaysiausing Thailand's power transmission network. The delivery will begin on August1, 2018.
On January 15, Laos and Myanmar inked three MoUs on bilateralcooperation in electricity, science-technology and corruption prevention aspart of Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith’s visit to Myanmar at the invitation ofMyanmar President U Htin Kyaw.
Sharing230km of border, Laos and Myanmar set up their diplomatic relations in July 1955.Both countries joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in1997. However, statistics showed that their two-way trade still remainedmodest.-VNA
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