VIENTIANE, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- A hydropower plant under construction on the Mekong River in northern Laos' Luang Prabang province is expected to be completed and able to generate electricity in 2030.
Construction of the 1,460 MW hydropower project began at the start of 2020.
The concrete dam operates on a run-of-river system. The dam wall is 79 meters high and water will cascade down a 29.6 meter drop, the Lao National TV reported on Wednesday.
The powerhouse is equipped with seven vertical Kaplan units (main units) with a total installed capacity of 1,400 MW, with three auxiliary units providing a further 60 MW capacity.
The total energy produced each year will be about 6,854 GWh.
The electricity-generating and mining industries in Laos are growing rapidly and providing a strong boost to economic development.
Many hydropower plants have been built in Laos as part of the government's strategy to turn the country into the "battery of Southeast Asia."
There are currently 94 power generating plants in Laos with a total installed capacity of 11,661 MW, capable of producing 58,813 GWh per year.
Some 95 percent of all households across the country now have access to electricity.
The energy and mining sector plays an important role in economic growth. The sector has delivered numerous benefits in terms of job creation and the construction of roads, schools, hospitals, markets and clean water supplies.
The sale of electricity to neighboring countries and profit yielded from the extraction of minerals have earned sizeable amounts of foreign currency for Laos, which continues to increase, according to the report. ■