The Vietnamese state-owned power utility Electricité du Vietnam (EVN) has started construction on the 500 kV Monsoon-Thanh My interconnection project, which will link the Quang Nam province of Vietnam to the 600 MW Monsoon wind power project located in southern Laos. The VND 1,100bn (US$45m) interconnection line, which is set to add 2.5 GW of electricity to Vietnam’s power grid (600 MW in a first phase), is scheduled to be completed in 2024. EVN will only build the section of the interconnector located in Vietnam.
The power generated from Laos’ Monsoon wind project will be sold across the border to Vietnam under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with EVN in July 2021. The Monsoon project is scheduled for completion in 2025. Laos is also planning the construction of a 1.2 GW wind project in Savannakhet, whose generated electricity will also be sold to Vietnam.