600-Megawatt Wind Power Project Breaks Ground in Laos
On April 25, the groundbreaking ceremony of Laos’ first wind power project was held in Vientiane, Laos. The Monsoon Wind Power Project, a US$950 million 600-megawatt (MW) power plant, is set to be the first cross-border wind power plant in Asia. Under a 25-year agreement with Vietnam, Laos will be able to export and sell power from Monsoon Wind to central Vietnam via a 500kV transmission line. In March, the Asian Development Bank and Monsoon Wind Power Company Limited signed a US$692.55 million nonrecourse project financing package to build the wind power plant. In addition to strengthening regional energy connectivity, the wind power plant is expected to offset over 35 million tons of CO2 throughout its lifetime. The project is scheduled to reach commercial operations before the end of 2025.