What domestic use will be made of Lao hydropower ?
Under a government agreement, 10% of all power generated by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) will be fed into the Lao grid. At present, total installed capacity in the country is 700 MW. The majority of power produced is exported to Thailand. Domestic distribution in Lao PDR is currently achieved through four separate stand-alone grid systems, each covering a different area of the country. The energy consumption by the main economic sectors is increasing by approximately 10% annually. In late 2007 around 46% of all households had access to electricity. The Lao Government is working towards a goal of ensuring that 70% of households have electricity by 2010; and 90% by 2020. Nam Theun 2 will help achieve this (supplying 75MW for domestic distribution), complemented by mini-developments of micro-hydro, solar and wind energy projects for off-grid supply in remote areas. Four new hydropower projects either under construction or planned will supply the majority of their power output to the
