Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation will be participating in the development of a 600 MW onshore wind farm in Laos, set to be the largest in Southeast Asia. The company recently announced its investment in Impact Energy Asia Development Limited (IEAD), the developer of the project.

The new wind warm – the first in Laos – will be located in Sekong and Attapeu Provinces, southeast of the country, according to Mitsubishi in its statement. A dedicated transmission line to Vietnam will also be built, as the power generated from the facility is planned to be sold to Vietnam Electricity, a Vietnamese state-owned electric power company, for 25 years.

The project is being developed as part of an agreement on power sharing signed between the governments of Vietnam and Laos in October 2016. It is expected to be the first cross-border electricity sharing from wind power generation in Southeast Asia, said Mitsubishi.

According to a report by Nikkei Asia, construction is slated to start by the end of this year with operations scheduled for 2024.

In Vietnam, there is a demand for additional power supply to support its growing economy, especially in the dry season when hydropower generation is limited, explained Mitsubishi. Hydropower is one of Vietnam's main sources for electricity.

The new onshore wind farm in Laos is intended to operate at a high rate during the dry season, and would help stabilising Vietnam's power system while making the country’s energy mix greener.

“We will continue to contribute to the realisation of a decarbonised society by striving to achieve both a stable supply of electricity in Vietnam and addressing the environmental challenges for the stable society,” stated Mitsubishi.

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