Egat seals deal for Laos plant
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) will sign a memorandum of understanding next Monday with Ja-panese electricity generator Kansai, the Lao government and Rojana Industrial Park for a joint investment in a hydropower plant in Laos.
An agreement on the US$437.7-million (Bt15.31 billion), 261-megawatt plant at Nam Ngieb 1 Dam followed a month-long joint feasibility study. Egat deputy governor Apichat Diloksopon said Kansai initiated the project and invited Egat to participate. Kansai plans to hold a 40-per-cent stake, while Egat will take 25 per cent, the Lao government 20 per cent and Rojana 15 per cent. "To finance the investment, 30 per cent will come from equity and 70 per cent from borrowing," said Apichat, adding that the return on investment was expected to be 14 per cent. Egat will have to invest Bt1.35 billion, in accordance with its shareholding ratio. Nam Ngieb will supply electricity to Thailand in 2014 as part of a bilateral agreement signed in 1996 between the Lao and Thai governments for a supply of 3,000 megawatts from Laos. Nearly all output will be supplied to Thailand through transmission lines linking the dam with Udon Thani. Construction will start next year and take five years. Kansai is negotiating with the Thai Energy Ministry on the power rate. Thailand has struck four other power-purchase agreements with Laos. The Nam Thuen-Hinbun, Huay Ho, Nam Thuen 2 and Nam Nguem 2 projects will supply 1,848MW. Feasibility studies are also being conducted for other projects, including Nam Nguem 3, Hongsa Lignite, Nam Thuen 1 and an extension to Nam Thuen-Hinbun. Total capacity of these project capacity is more than 4,000MW.
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