Quang Tri to provide more electricity for Laos

Central Quang Tri province will sell more electricity to the neighbouring Lao districts, the provincial electricity company said.

The company plans to install more transmission lines and equipments ensure supply capacity of 11 MW to the four Lao districts, in line with a joint commitment between the Electricity 3 Company under Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the Electricity of Laos (EDL) company.

Quang Tri has been providing electricity through two transformer stations at Lao Bao international border gate and La Lay national border gate for Laos over the past 10 years. Power sales in the first 11 months of 2008 reached 10.45 million KWh, a twofold increase as compared with previous years’ average figure.

Source: vnbusinessnews

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Thep Viet steel plant set for construction in Cambodia

Thep Viet steel manufacturer based in Ho Chi Minh City is set to invest US$70 million in a steel plant in Cambodia.

"We want the steel factory to begin production in two or three years," Tran Totu, chairman of the Thep Viet Steel Corp, told last week, adding that the investment would help fill a vital need for the Kingdom's rapidly developing infrastructure.

Thep Viet Steel exports 5,000 tonnes of steel per month to Cambodia.

Cambodia is reported to have large iron deposits, and Vietnamese companies have been granted concessions to explore for the mineral - a major feedstock for steel production.

Trinh Ba Cam, spokesman for the Vietnamese embassy in Phnom Penh, said Vietnamese companies could play a major role in future development in Cambodia.

"Vietnamese investment will help fill a need in Cambodian markets because the country is badly in need of steel," he said.

Tann Kin Vin, secretary of state for the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, said he had no information about the plant.

"We know nothing about the plan, but we think it could not be implemented that quickly because no evaluation study on the availability of iron ore has been conducted," he told the Post on Tuesday.

"If they do their research, they will be able obtain ore and earn a lot of profit," he said.

He said that Japan is providing technical training on ore extraction.

"Iron ore will be a big source of income if the country is able to utilise this natural resource," Tann Kin Vin said.

Prime Minister Hun Sen last year called on foreign investment to take advantage of Cambodia's iron resources.

"I think Cambodia may have enough iron ore to sustain operations in a number of provinces in the centre and in the north of the country," said Mom Sambath, executive director of Development and Parntership in Action, an organisation that conducts research on mining operations in Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri provinces.

He added that Cambodia could also support large-scale bauxite production.

Source: vnbusinessnews

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Song Da Corp Plans 2 More Hydropower Projects In Laos

Song Da Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Laotian government to build two more hydropower plants in the country, a company executive said Tuesday.

The company plans to start construction of the 50-megawatt Xe Bang Hieng 1 Plant and the 52-megawatt Xe Bang Hieng 2 Plant in Attapu province in mid-2010, said Mai Van Luc, deputy head of the company's investment department.

The total investment needed for the construction of the two plants will be $ 400 million. "It will take two to three years to build the plants," Luc said.

Song Da earlier started the construction of two other hydropower plants in Laos, including the 322-megawatt Xekaman 1 and the 250-megawatt Xekaman 3 Plant.

The $312-million Xekaman 3 is scheduled to start generating power in April 2011, with 90% of the output to be exported to Viet Nam.

The Xekaman 1 is scheduled to start commercial operations in 2013.
Source: vnbusinessnews
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Vietnamese Investment in Laos Promotion Seminar Held in Northen Laos

On December 17th, a seminar to promote Vietnamese investment in Laos was held in the Hua Phan Province, and four other provinces, of Northern Laos.

The seminar was attended by Lao Government Standing Deputy Prime Minister Sonxavat Lengsavat. and Party Central Committee Member and Head of the PCC Commission of Propaganda and Training To Huy Rua.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, the Lao Minister of Planning and Investment said that, between 2004 and 2007, Laos’ annual economic growth had reached an average above 8%, and that its GDP growth was 7.8% so far in 2008. In the past several years, more than USD 9 billion has been poured in Laos. Vietnam itself invested US$ 1.02 billion in Laos, making it number 1 among the 37 countries and territories currently investing in Loas. In Hua Phan Province alone, between 2006 and 2008, Vietnam invested in 31 projects, worth more than US$ 10 million.

Standing Deputy Prime Minister Sonxavat Lengsavat, in his speech, affirmed that Vietnam’s investment in the Northern provinces of Laos had played a strategic role for both countries and will help to further develop good Vietnam – Lao relations.

Political ministries from both countries pledged to intensify resolutions to speed up Vietnam and Lao’s investment in hydroelectricity power generation in order to reach a capacity of 5,000-7,000 MW, as well as investment in rubber plantation and cattle feedstock processing.

Moreover, the two sides pledged to enhance their two-way trade exchange from US$ 400 million at present to US$ 1 billion in 2010 and US$ 2 billion in 2015.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. To Huy Rua noted that the special solidarity between Vietnam and Lao is always a significant factor for the two countries to win success in the building of socialization and national protection. (CPV)

Source: vnbusinessnews

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