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Laos ramps up renewable energy capacity
Laos expects that renewable energy will comprise around 30 percent of total energy use nationwide by 2025.
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| Technicians fill an engine with B100 bio-fuel during a bio-diesel demonstration. |
“We have announced this target at international events,” an official from the Energy and Mines Ministry, Mr Hatsady Sysoulath, said at a demonstration of bio-diesel utilisation last month in Vientiane.
This figure will include a bio-fuel component of around 10 percent, which will replace imported fossil fuels. “This is a large amount, so to meet the target we plan to develop seven strategic bio-fuel projects,” Mr Hatsady said.
The development projects will include both bio-diesel and bio-ethanol, using waste sugarcane as a fuel to generate energy, followed by small-sized hydropower plants, solar farm systems to generate electricity and supply to the national grid system, as well as wind power and natural gas.
“Currently we are measuring wind speed in the central provinces for wind power projects and undertaking bio-fuel production and utilisation demonstrations,” he said.
“So far we have installed solar systems or panels for about 20,000 households and we are also planning to install additional solar systems for another 10,000 to 20,000 households. We also plan to cooperate with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport regarding the use of battery powered vehicles.”
Laos has big potential in terms of renewable energy generation, mainly from hydropower plants which are expected to generate more than 20,000 megawatts in total. “So currently we are rushing ahead with the construction of more hydropower plants,” he said.
“Our plan is to reduce the use of firewood as an energy source to about 38 percent by 2025, down from the current figure of 50 percent.”
Of the total energy consumption in 2008, transportation accounted for 26 percent and industrial use around 20 percent, while the percentage for agriculture was relatively small.
“The current figures are relatively similar or a little higher,” Mr Hatsady said. “In the future, energy use in Laos will increase by about 3.6 percent annually as the GDP continues to grow.”
He said electricity use is projected to increase by more than 10 percent, which is greater than the current GDP growth.
vientiane times
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