Laos’ Luang Prabang May Lose Unesco Status Amid Fears Dam Will Cause ‘Irreversible Damage’
Critics are concerned about the ‘authenticity and integrity’ of Luang Prabang, a Unesco World Heritage site, if the project proceeds
Read more
Utilities (Water, Electricity etc)
$692 Million Loan Secured to Finance Region’s Largest Wind Farm in Laos
The biggest wind mill farm in southeast Asia has secured a financing agreement with ADB.
Read more
Lao Pipe Industrial Technology to Expand Water Supply in Vientiane
Expansion of water supply in Vientiane started last year and expected to finish by next year.
Read more
Vietnam to Buy 3000MW Electricity From Laos
Vietnamese Prime Minister has approved plans to import electricity with a total capacity of 2,689MW.
Read more
Laos, Cambodia Further Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation
Bilateral cooperation has been constantly promoted to strengthens area such as national defense and public security, economy and trade.
Read more
Lao Government Backs the Use of Electric Vehicles to Conserve Energy Supplies
Lao Deputy Minister of Energy promote the use of electric vehicles to conserve energy that petrol-powered cars.
Read more
Govt. Eyes Revision of Electricity Charges to Generate More Revenue
The government plans to make changes to the structure of electricity pricing, bringing charges in line with changing economic and financial circumstances.
Read more
EDL Spells Out Measures To Resolve Debt Problems
The Reform Committee of Electricite du Laos (EDL) will roll out four measures aimed at resolving the company’s debt issues
Read more
EDL Appoints Key Officials For Enterprise Reforms
“It is hoped the newly appointed officials will contribute to stronger business performance and get familiar with the new rules, conditions and environment for the reform process and apply the newly restructured working methods”
Read more
Why A Monopoly Like The Lao Electricity Company Is Making Losses
Electricite du Laos (EDL), a monopoly company which should generate a significant amount of revenue from its dominance in the energy market, has been operating at a loss for many years and has accumulated huge debts.
Read more
Public Works Ministry Sets Water Rates For 2022
Water suppliers will set different rates according to the volume used by a household
Read more
Govt Pledges To Diversify Energy Sources To Minimise Imports
The government has vowed to diversify its sources of energy by developing solar, wind power and coal-fired power plants to address the electricity shortage in the dry season.
Read more
Nam Theun 2 Shareholders, Govt Partner In World’s Largest Hybrid Floating Solar Project
The government and shareholders in the Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant have agreed to develop Nam Theun 2-Solar, the largest hybrid floating solar project in the world.
Read more
Utilities Reduce Electricity And Water Tariffs For Households
The state-run Electricite Du Lao (EDL) and Vientiane Water Supply State Enterprise have cut power and water tariffs by three and five percent respectively to help people cope with the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.
Read more
EDL To Discount Electricity Rates During Lockdown Period
The new electricity rates for households will be calculated from May to July in provinces under lockdown. The discount applies only to residential consumers and does not include value-added tax (VAT).
Read more
EDL To Slash Electricity Bills For Thousands Of Householders
Electricity du Laos (EDL) will reduce electricity prices for households using less than 461kwh per month for the three months of April, May, and June as part measures to offset the financial impact of COVID-19 in the country.
Read more
PM Advises Energy Ministry To Clarify Electricity Charges
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has directed the Ministry of Energy and Mines to clearly explain the electricity tariff structure following concerns raised by society about increased monthly bills.
Read more
Vientiane Water Reduces Household Tariffs By 5 Percent
Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise will reduce its rates from May to July for household customers by five percent with the change coming into effect next month.
Read more
Vientiane Cuts Waste Disposal Fee By 50 Percent
The waste disposal fee for residents, entrepreneurs and organisations in Vientiane has been reduced by 50 percent from April to June this year.
Read more
Laos To Increase Domestic Distribution Of Electricity
Coverage by the national power grid is still limited due to a lack of funding for power grid development
Read more
Water Treatment Extension Plant To Boost Supply In Vientiane
The Dongbang water treatment extension plant is to be built in Xaythany district, Vientiane with aid from Hungary
Read more
China’s Jinghong Dam Runs ‘Tests’ Dropping Water Levels in Downstream Laos
Equipment testing at China’s Jinghong Dam in the first week of January will reduce water it releases into the Mekong River by more than 50 percent
Read more
Water Provider Augments Supply From Nam Ngum River
The Vientiane Water Supply State Enterprise has placed pumps in the Nam Ngum river to feed the Dongmakkhai water treatment plant in Xaythany district
Read more
Ministry Aiming For Lower Electricity Prices
The energy and mining sector is trying to cut electricity prices so that power is affordable for local residents and businesses.
Read more
The Changing Landscape of TV In Laos – Don’t Leave Your Favourite TV Show Behind
Finding your home comforts in Laos isn’t always easy. Your favourite TV shows, however, are not out of reach!
Read more
Cabinet Agrees To Lower Electricity Price, Orders Action To Strengthen Economy
The government cabinet has agreed to revise the electricity unit price structure to lower the cost of electricity, as an incentive to boost investment and productivity.
Read more
Tap Water Business Booming In Laos
THE TAP-WATER business in Laos’ top tourist destination Luang Prabang has enormous potential for growth due to the rapid expansion of tourism, a high-speed rail project in the works and high demand for water utilities across the country, according to Exim Bank and Thai investors in Laos.
Read more
Store Water For Household Use, Vientiane Residents Advised
Vientiane residents are being advised to store sufficient water for household use as the capital’s water treatment plants struggle to process the increasingly turbid water sourced from the swollen Mekong River.
Read more
Tackling Power Blackouts Key For Growth Of Business Sector
Economists have called for the government to address power failures and blackouts in a move to further improve the business environment in Laos.
Read more
Dirty Water Supply Draws Public Complaints
Householders in some areas of Vientiane have expressed concerns about red colored water when they turn on their taps, prompting questions about the quality of the capital’s supply. However, an anonymous official from the Vientiane Water Supply Company (Nampapa Nakhoneluang) told Vientiane Times on Friday that householders shouldn’t be too concerned about unclear water as workers are repairing broken pipes in the area.
“When water pipes are being fixed ….
Vientiane to Increase Water Charges by Four Percent
Vientiane Water Supply Enterprise (Nampapa Nakhon Luang) has announced it will increase water supply charges by four percent across all categories coming into effect this January.
The enterprise issued an announcement recently that requires households to pay in line with four rates – the more water ….
Govt Mulls Revising Electricity Fee
The government is mulling a revision of electricity tariffs after Electricite du Laos (EDL) submitted a draft revision that proposes reducing power fees to the government for consideration and approval.
If approved, EDL will subsidise up to six billion kip per month in power costs as per the proposed revision set to …..
Consumers Angry Over EDL’s Response To High Bills
Despite reassurances by Electricite du Laos (EDL) that meters are operating normally and no price change has taken place, consumers are unhappy with the high bills they must pay and want further clarification.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the Director of EDL’s Vientiane Power Distribution Department said high electricity consumption does not drive up the tariff rate and household meters installed by EDL are still ….
Russia And Laos Plan Nuclear Cooperation
A memorandum of cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes has been signed by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the ministry of energy and mines of Laos.
In the framework of the memorandum,Rosatom and Laos plan to cooperate in the design, construction and ….
Laos Inaugurates Largest Coal-Fired Power Plant Constructed By China
The Hongsa Power Plant (3x626MW), which was constructed by China, was inaugurated in Laos’ northern Xayaboury Province on Wednesday.
The project is currently the first and largest coal-fired power plant project in Laos, which comprises coal mines, transmission lines and power plant. The inaugural ceremony was ….
Largest Asean Wind Farm In South Laos
THAI renewable company Impact Energy Asia (IEA) plans to build the largest wind farm in Asean – and generate 600 megawatts on 400,000 rai in southern Laos – under an agreement signed by the Lao government and the company on Friday.
“Called Monsoon Wind Farm, the US$1.5 billion [Bt50 billion] farm will be located near the Mekong River across from Ubon Ratchathani,” said Woramol Khamkanist, who heads the firm.
The wind project will be turned over to the Lao government after a …..
Producers Of Fake Drinking Water Caught
Police officers are now expanding their investigations into four Vietnamese who were caught in the last few days at a house in Nonvai village of Xaysettha district, Vientiane where they were illegally producing fake bottles of Tigerhead drinking water.
According to the police, four Vietnamese were making a fake version of Tigerhead drinking water which comes from the Lao Brewery Company. Two of the four Vietnamese are a …….
Public Urged To Save Water Over Summer Months
Water supply shortages during the current period of hot weather require members of the public to use water more efficiently and economically.
If anyone finds water leaks, people stealing water or destroying water meters, please call Vientiane State Water Supply Enterprise’s (VSWSE) hotline number 1169, representatives from the enterprise asked.
It’s accepted that the company’s plants are not able to supply enough water to the public due to the population ….
Fuel Prices To Keep On Dropping
Petroleum operators expect fuel prices will continue to drop for the next few months after seeing prices go down since the beginning of the year.
The government has lowered the prices of premium, regular petrol and diesel in Vientiane and five provinces effective last Friday. “It is the third time for a fuel price reduction this year,” an official of …..
Powerhouse Laos Offers Burma a Fix to Electricity Woes
Burma’s chronic lack of electricity to power its economic development could be solved from an unlikely source—underdeveloped Laos.
Laos has just 6.8 million people and is mostly covered in forest, but is almost as big geographically as Italy, which has a population of 60 million. It also has numerous fast-flowing rivers, running from mountains in the north as high as 2,800 meters, and the communist government in Vientiane has drawn up plans to build scores of dams on them to harness their hydroelectric potential.
If all the hydro-dam projects under construction or firmly planned and on the drawing board were built, Laos would have an electricity generating capacity of …..
Water Price In Vientiane Set To Rise
The price of water will be adjusted higher gradually by about 3-5 percent from now until 2018 and divided into three main levels of users.
The new service will start to be implemented immediately according to the Vientiane Administration Office announcement.
The aim of the adjustment is to get water supply users in Vientiane to pay service fees appropriate to their use because in the past they all paid the same rate.
Between 2015 and 2016, the price of water supply will increase by …..
Electricity Unit Price ‘Not Expensive’: Laos
Members of the public have complained that the unit price of electricity in Laos is high, despite the fact that Laos has developed a number of hydroelectricity dams in recent years.
A deputy minister said the unit price of electricity in Laos is already lower than prices in many other countries in the region.
Laos’ average unit price is currently charged at 600 kip per kilowatt hour (kwh), equivalent to slightly more than seven cents, lower than about 16 cents (1,280 kip) charged in neighbouring Cambodia, and lower the than ….
EDL’s Installation Of Different Meters Raise Questions
Questions about the installation of different meters were raised by members of the public as they thought that if the meter was spinning faster it meant they were going to be charged more on their monthly bills.
The Vientiane Power Distribution Department’s Electricite du Laos (EDL) explained to media representatives last friday there are actually two types of meter, smaller and larger sizes, with the larger turning more slowly than the smaller one but the speed of rotation had ….
Gas Price Skyrockets As Thailand Restricts Exports
The price of gas in Vientiane has surged over the past few months, after Thailand applied restrictions to the export of commodities.
Thai authorities have tightened inspections on the export of unlicensed gas to neighbouring countries, resulting in a gas price hike in Laos.
The move has especially impacted residents of Vientiane, who need to use gas tanks in their businesses or homes …..
EDL’s New Regulations To Speed Up Slow Payers
Electricite du Laos (EDL) is tightening regulations to enforce stricter collection of debts after many electricity consumers have failed to pay their bills, leaving large sums unpaid over the past few years.
Currently, EDL is facing serious challenges running its business efficiently when a large number of electricity users owe money to the public company. There is more than 270 billion kip in debt from electricity users in Vientiane alone. However, more than 400 billion kip is owed by customers across the country.
“It is quite a challenging issue for ….
Vientiane Struggles To Produce Sufficient Water
An under-construction water purification project set for completion late this year will increase water supply coverage from about 71 percent to 85 percent in the capital, a senior official has announced.
The NPNL issued an announcement yesterday in the wake of concern over the insufficient supply of water it currently produces.
The NPNL called for members of the public to exercise economical use of the limited water in order to ensure those in outlining areas and on higher ground would also have enough water for their daily needs.
At present, four purification plants operated by the NPNL are producing 180,000 cubic metres a day – still far short of the current total demand for …..
Laos & Philippines Ready To Plug Into Electric Vehicles
Laos and the Philippines are keen to introduce electric vehicles and make EV production their key industry in the future, a development that may benefit auto-makers from Japan.
In Laos, which has abundant hydroelectric power, electricity charges are half of those in Thailand. The Laos government is implementing a project to convert 40 per cent of the nation’s motorcycles, tricycles and four-wheel vehicles into EVs by 2020 with the ….
Laos To Produce 12,500 MW Electricity By 2020
Laos expects to see a big surge in electricity production over the next seven years with a number of hydropower plants currently under construction. Installed capacity of Lao power plants will reach 12,500MW in 2020, up from 3,200MW at present.
The huge increase in power production capacity will be possible when eight hydro plants and one lignite-fired power plant become operational over the next seven years.
Economists say the huge increase in electricity generation will not only play a significant role in securing…..
Lao Drinking Water Companies Reviewing Safety Standards Following Complaints
Lao drinking water companies are reviewing safety standards following a rash of complaints. Companies that sell bottled drinking water in the Lao capital Vientiane have pledged to upgrade the quality of their supplies following public complaints about safety standards in the industry and surprise government inspections on water production facilities.
During the September-October period, the Drinking Water Association in Vientiane received numerous complaints of unclean water in bottles consumers had purchased from local stores.
Out In The Open
The Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) is a multi-donor partnership administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe and sustainable access to water and sanitation services. This film is a status quo report about the situation in Lao PDR and is a request for more attention
Read more
Over 60 % Of Drinking Water Plants In Vientiane Reported Substandard
More than 90 plants producing drinking water in Vientiane are distributing their products to the public despite lacking the necessary certification from the Ministry of Health’s Food and Drug Department.
Health officials are very concerned about substandard drinking water in the capital, fearing that water distributed by substandard factories could affect the health of people both in the short and long term.
Critics say it is important to publish the names of both standard and substandard plants in the media so that ….