Thailand’s Office of the National Economics and Social Development Board (NESDB) has approved a plan to invest 7.3 billion baht in the development of an electricity transmission line connecting the 410 MW Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower plant (HPP) located in Laos to a substation located in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. The power plant is being developed by a JV comprising Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding (RATCH; 25 per cent stake); SK Engineering & Construction Company (26 per cent), Korea Western Power Company Limited (25 per cent), and Lao Holding State Enterprise (24 per cent). The transmission line will enable Thailand to purchase 390 MW of electricity from Laos once the HPP plant is in operation in 2018. The Thai government has signed an MoU to purchase more than 7,000 MW of electricity from Laos by 2015; the purchasing contract will last for 27 years. The Xe Pian Xe Namnoy HPP is part of the same cooperation agreement.
