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Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
February 21, 2025 | 12:00am
The STAR has learned that ACEN and its joint venture partners target the full commercial operations of the wind facility in the second half of this year.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — Ayala-led ACEN Corp. is set to fully energize its 600-megawatt (MW) Monsoon Wind Power Project in Laos as early as July, paving the way for the delivery of clean power to Vietnam.
The STAR has learned that ACEN and its joint venture partners target the full commercial operations of the wind facility in the second half of this year.
With an estimated investment of around $1 billion, Monsoon Wind Power is poised to become the first of its kind in Laos and one of the largest in Southeast Asia.
The project is nearing completion, with only three of the 133 wind turbines left to be installed.
ACEN, which holds a 24-percent economic stake in the project, has said Monsoon Wind Power is expected to harness Laos’ vast wind potential to “help drive the region toward its decarbonization goals.”
Other stakeholders in the project include Thailand’s BCPG Public Co. Ltd. and Impact Electrons Siam Ltd., Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and Laos’ SMP Consultation Sole Co. Ltd.
Located in the provinces of Sekong and Attapeu in Laos, Monsoon Wind Power features a 500-kilovolt transmission line crossing the border of Vietnam, becoming the first cross-border renewable power project in the region.
Under a 25-year power purchase agreement, the electricity generated by the project will be sold to Vietnam Electricity, the sole public power company in Vietnam.
Last month, Laos’ Vientiane Times reported that the wind project is set to transmit an initial 300 MW of power to Vietnam in the second quarter, with the full 600 MW expected to be delivered later this year.
Monsoon Wind Power is among ACEN’s target project launches this year.
Other projects include the 520-MW Stubbo Solar in Australia, the 109-MW Stockyard Wind in the US and a 123-MW hybrid solar-wind development in India.
