A Singaporean firm joint-venturing with a Lao partner has agreed with the Lao government to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a clean thermal power plant in the southern province of Sekong.
Singapore’s Evolution Power Investment Corp Pte Ltd (Epic) and Sekong-based Khounmixay Bridge and Road Construction and Repair Company (KMX) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government for the clean thermal power development.
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Under the MoU, Epic and KMX will be permitted to conduct a feasibility study on the economic, social and environmental viability of a 1,000MW clean thermal technology power plant project in the province’s Dakcheung district.
The project is estimated to cost $1.7 billion and expected to be commissioned by 2027, producing reliable year-round electricity for export to neighbouring Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Domestic distribution is also likely.
The project intends to use domestically-extracted fuel sources to generate power for export and thereby adding value to local natural resources and optimising foreign exchange.
A number of thermal power technology options will be studied such as conventional pulverised boilers (PC) and circulating-fluidised-bed (CFB) boilers, both of which will operate within an ultra-supercritical (USC) steam parameter which determines how efficient the fuel source can be spent.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Khamchanh Vongseneboun and KMX vice-president Khamthanh Phommathat signed the MoU on behalf of the Epic-KMX joint venture company.
Khamthanh said thermal power would play an essential part in the power generation mix for the ASEAN region and given the global headwinds against thermal power, in terms of its environmental impact, the latest technologies needed to be used to minimise such impact.
“This is precisely the intention of the project by working with world-class construction and power equipment manufacturers in delivering sustainable energy that meets the reality of tomorrow’s power demand in the most efficient and environment-friendly manner,” he said.
Commenting on the MoU, Epic executive director Don Lim said: “We are extremely excited to have reached this important milestone for the development of our flagship project with the Lao government and believe we can make a significant contribution to not only the country’s energy sector but also regional markets as well given the significant shortfall in baseload energy supply such as in Vietnam.”
VIENTIANE TIMES/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
