|
Japan lends muscle to energy sector development
Energy officials are attending a workshop to learn from the Japanese experience regarding energy sector development, and will use what they learn to ensure sustainable growth of the industry.
Energy officials from Vientiane and the provinces have gathered for the workshop in Vientiane, which is jointly organised by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and runs from November 23 to 25. Seminars are led by Lao energy officials who have trained in Japan under JICA and also by JICA experts themselves.
According to the presenters, future power sector policy should continue to focus on the expansion of a stable and reliable power supply for domestic use, poverty reduction through rural electrification, and foreign currency earnings through power exports.
The Japan energy policy trend is based on energy supply security and informed by economic efficiency, reducing import dependency, risk mitigation, energy saving, environmental concerns and renewable energy use.
The long term development of energy policy in Laos will benefit significantly from the Japanese experience as via Japanese studies they will have access to low cost renewable development analysis, giving the department the capacity to carry out energy policy planning.
Promoting early adoption of environmentally sustainable energy technologies, encouraging effective energy data collection in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation will form a key part of future policy.
Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy Mr Vilaphone Viravong said “It is important to bolster the knowledge and skills of our officials at all levels in order to achieve the government's plan for energy development.”
The government plans to provide electricity to 90 percent of all households nationwide by 2020, a key factor in the country's poverty alleviation aims for 2020.
The plan also includes ensuring 30 percent of all energy consumed is sourced from renewable energy sources by the year 2020, and reducing dependence on imported fuel by 10 percent.
The development of the power sector needs to be able to keep pace with increasing demand both domestically and internationally, developing reliable and low cost power sources to feed the country's development. In an export sense this will include transmitting 7,000MW of electricity to Thailand and 5,000 MW to Vietnam by 2020, which will come through the further development of the hydropower industry.
“It is good that we can learn from the experiences of developed countries like Japan. We can help energy development in our country to be sustainable, reduce the impacts on the environment and stimulate the national economy,” Mr Vilaphone said.
Renewable energy deve-lopment in Laos should focus on a variety of forms, not just hydropower. Laos has significant development potential in areas such as bio-fuel production, biogas production, biomass gasification and solar energy production.
Non renewable sources of energy are declining globally, while the demand for energy continues to increase. This reality is seeing many countries, particularly those without a fossil fuel industry, begin to focus more and more on the potential of renewable energies. Laos has the potential to grow significantly in what will be one of the key industries of the future.
vientiane times
|
