Contract to buy power signed

Contracts to buy power from Xekaman 1 Power Company of Laos were signed at a ceremony here yesterday by Song Da Group and Electricity of Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment also handed an investment licence to the Song Da group to build Sekong 3 hydro-power plant in Laos.

Le Van Que chairman of the group, said the signing prepared the way for the start of the project.

The group will begin work on Xekaman hydro-power plant next week. Eighty per cent of the power generated will be exported to Viet Nam and the rest will be supplied to Laos.

From 2014, the plant, which will cost US$441 million, will be able to generate an annual output of more than 1.2 billion kWh per year. It will be located on the Xekaman River in Xanxay District, Attapeu Province, 75km from Kon Tum Province in Viet Nam.

Sekong 3 hydro-power plant will cost $275 million and be able to produce more than 800 million kWh a year.

It is expected that the plant will start operations at the end of this year and be completed by 2015.

In recent years, Song Da Group has shown interest in investing in seven hydro-power projects to generate 5.4 billion Kwh in Laos each year. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam electricity, Vietnam energy, Vietnam power shortage