ACEN Corp. said Thursday the 600-megawatt Monsoon Wind Power Project in southern Laos has started commercial operations, becoming what it called Asia’s first cross-border renewable energy project.
The facility officially reached its commercial operation on Aug. 22, the company said in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange.
ACEN, a unit of conglomerate Ayala Corp., said the clean power flows from the mountains of southern Laos into Vietnam, which helps strengthen regional energy security and boost economic growth.
The project, which has 133 wind turbines, is located in the Dak Cheung District of Sekong Province and the Sanxay District of Attapeu Province.
Energy from the wind project travels through four 115 kilovolt (kV) substations before connecting to Vietnam’s 500 kV transmission system.
The project was initiated by Thailand’s Impact Electrons Siam (IES) and is developed and operated by Monsoon Wind Power Co. Ltd., a company incorporated in Laos.
The project is backed by an international consortium of shareholders including IES, ACEN, Thailand’s BCPG Public Company Limited and STP&I Public Company Limited, Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and its subsidiary Diamond Generating Asia, and Laos’ SMP Consultation Sole Co. Ltd.
Financing for the project came from a group of regional and global lenders, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Thailand), Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation (HKMC), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), Kasikornbank (KBANK) and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB).
Construction of the project was led by PowerChina, with wind turbines supplied by Envision Energy.
“This is a proud and historic moment for our company, our partners, and the region,” Nat Hutanuwatr, managing director of the Monsoon Wind Power Co., said in the statement.
Paradai Suebma, chairwoman of Monsoon Wind Power, said the achievement “stands as a testament to the determination, innovation, and collaboration of everyone involved.”
