Asia's first cross-border wind farm reaches commercial operation

The Monsoon Wind Power project, situated in the Sekong and Attapeu provinces of Southern Laos, has officially reached commercial operations.

The 600MW project consists of 133 turbines and, according to developers Monsoon Wind Power, it marks the first cross-border renewable energy project in Asia.

It's also the first wind power plant in Laos.

The power travels through four 115kV substations, is stepped up to 500kV at the project substation, and is carried along a 27-kilometre high-voltage transmission line to the Lao–Vietnam border, where it connects to Vietnam’s 500 kV transmission system. From there, the transmission line continues to the Thanh My substation.

The project operates under a 25-year power purchase agreement with EVN, Vietnam's national and sole public power company, and a 28-year concession agreement with the government of Laos.

Have you read?
India cancels 4.5GW offshore wind tenders
Onshore wind sector ramps up AI investment to reduce risk

Nat Hutanuwatr, managing director of Monsoon Wind Power, commented in a statement: “This is a proud and historic moment for our company, our partners, and the region. From the early days when many doubted the feasibility of a cross-border wind farm in this terrain, to overcoming technical, logistical, and financial challenges, this achievement stands as a testament to the determination, innovation, and collaboration of everyone involved...

"The project not only delivers renewable energy at scale but also demonstrates how ASEAN countries can work together for a cleaner, more sustainable future,” concluded Hutanuwatr.

Representing an investment of approximately $950 million, Monsoon Wind is financed by a consortium of lenders, including Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Export–Import Bank of Thailand, Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Kasikornbank, and Siam Commercial Bank.

The construction was led by PowerChina, with wind turbines supplied by Envision Energy.

Also of interest: Mitsubishi Power’s Akihiro Ondo on gas in Asia’s future energy mix

Over its 25-year operational lifetime, it is expected that the project will avoid more than 32.5 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions — equivalent to removing approximately 7 million cars from the road for a year.

The project not only supports the decarbonisation of power generation in the region but also created at least 1,600 jobs, over 1,000 of which were filled by Lao nationals.

Furthermore, the project supports the the ASEAN Power Grid initiative, led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The initiative aims to interconnect the power systems of its 10 member countries, creating a unified and integrated electricity network in South East Asia.