EDL To Cover 95 Percent Of Demand Of Households By Yearend

Source: Vientiane Times

The Electricite du Laos (EDL) is hopeful of meeting 95 percent of the electricity demand of households in the country by the end of this year in order to build on its achievements in the sector over the past 60 years.

This figure was highlighted by the EDL Managing Director Chanthaboun Soukaloun, at an event held on Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding the EDL.

The event, held in a hybrid mode, was attended by the Minister of Energy and Mines, Dr Daovong Phonekeo, deputy ministers, former EDL managing directors and senior ministry officials.

Mr Chanthaboun said EDL is a state-run enterprise that prioritises the implementation of the national socio-economic development plan, promotion of related-enterprises, and creation of jobs for the Lao people.

“Since the establishment of EDL in 1961, it has been a vital factor in the socio-economic development of Laos, with the active contribution of its employees over a long period of time,” he said. EDL will continue to grow gradually and implement its short and mid-term plans, he said.

Four important factors in the goals set for the coming years include the development of the organisation, increasing revenues through the improvement of the pricing structure, decreasing EDL’s expenditure, and restructuring the debt with various banks.

“Two essential duties to make a breakthrough are implementing the political and social policy, and making profits and increasing funds for the nation, and these are also crucial targets,” Mr Chanthaboun said.

He said EDL employees are at the forefront of efforts to implement the plans and they actively contribute by taking on the responsibilities assigned by the Party and government.

Dr Daovong, who is also the ministry’s Party Secretary, told the gathering that till 1975, Laos had only the Nam Ngum hydropower plant as a medium scale electricity generation unit, and two small-scale power plants – Nam Dong hydropower plant in Luang Prabang province and Xelabam hydropower plant in Champassak province.

“Only five cities in Laos – Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Khammuan, Savannakhet and Champassak – with 19,000 households [or 10 percent of the total] were able to access electricity at that time,” he said.

Currently, Laos has 88 electricity generation sources, including 75 hydropower plants, a coal-fired thermal plant, four biomass projects and eight solar energy power plants.

“With a total installed capacity of 10,672 megawatt, the country now has a generation capacity of 54,967 million KWh, and the transmission system covers over 67,643 km nationwide,” he said.

Dr Daovong said, “Besides meeting 95 percent of the domestic household consumption, EDL is an electricity exporter and a key revenue earner for the nation.”

The electricity industry has become a key economic sector for the nation and will implement the resolution of the 11th Party Congress, the Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSDP 2021-2025) and two nations’ agenda in a bid to overcome the current economic crisis.

“Two essential tasks to be implemented are meeting the demand of domestic consumption, and constantly earning revenues from exports through the development of a stable electricity system with reasonable and fair prices,” Dr Daovong said.

To ensure that all these plans are successfully implemented, he called on EDL to strengthen energy development management and be responsible for the tasks assigned to it by the government following the organisation’s achievements over the past six decades.

During the same ceremony, EDL presented awards to departments, employees and representatives of branches for their outstanding contributions over the years.