Laos wind project plans 1,000-megawatt expansion as Vietnam buys its power

The operator of Laos’ Monsoon Wind Power Project plans to add 1,000 megawatts of capacity and is working to supply some of the additional electricity domestically, general manager Narut Boakajorn said. The existing 600-megawatt facility sells its entire output to Vietnam.

Operations started in August 2025 at the US$700 million project, which has 133 Chinese-built turbines in southern Laos. A Thai-led consortium owns the wind farm, while a Chinese state company built it. Dedicated transmission lines carry its electricity to Vietnam’s national grid.

The development is Asia’s first cross-border wind project and Southeast Asia’s biggest wind farm. An official in Laos said between 10 and 15 wind projects were under development nationwide. Tristan Bellingham, technical programme lead at nonprofit EnergyLab Asia, said wind power’s economics were becoming more favourable.

Vietnam suffered severe blackouts in 2023 after drought reduced hydropower supplies. Its government warned in September that rising demand and delays to planned power projects could cause electricity shortages from 2027.

Residents near Monsoon’s turbines said the project had provided roads and better access to fresh water and healthcare, but had not supplied their community with electricity. They said outages during heavy storms continued, with Laos’ domestic power infrastructure outdated and its state utility heavily indebted.

Narut said the government was expected to receive US$180 million over the contract’s 25 years, including taxes and contributions to community development and environmental protection funds. He also said 1,600 grievances, mostly involving farmers seeking compensation for crop damage during construction, had been resolved.