Laos faces frequent power outages despite electricity exports
In Laos, particularly in the capital Vientiane, residents and medical facilities regularly face power outages, while most of the electricity generated in the country is exported to neighboring states. This was reported by The Japan Times.
According to the World Bank, Laos exported approximately two-thirds of all electricity it generated in 2023. A former technical expert at the state energy company Electricite du Laos (EDL) estimated the current export share at about 80%. Thailand is Laos' main export market, while Vietnam has recently increased its purchases.
Outdated power grid
A significant part of Laos' distribution network was built in the 1970s and cannot withstand rising consumption linked to the development of tourism, urban construction, infrastructure and the use of air conditioning. In Vientiane, lines that previously served one household can now supply apartment buildings, placing strain on old transformers.
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A doctor in the emergency pediatric department of one of the capital's two main public hospitals said that power problems had occurred frequently over the past three to six months. According to her, a ventilator stopped during one outage, although the hospital has a generator. After a fire caused by old wiring in an alley near the hospital, an outage also cut power to X-ray and ultrasound equipment, as well as ventilators.
Exports and shortages
According to official data, in the decade leading up to 2024, Laos' annual electricity exports more than tripled, from 12 to 38 terawatt-hours. In 2023, they brought the country $2.65 billion, the government reported. Grant Hauber, an expert at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, noted that the transmission lines of many projects are intended for specific foreign consumers and are not connected to the domestic grid.
Hydropower accounted for 80% of electricity generation in Laos in 2024, but its output declines during the dry season from March to August. The World Bank stated that the country has repeatedly been unable to meet domestic demand and fulfill export contracts simultaneously, forcing it to import electricity. Vietnam, in particular, receives electricity from the Monsoon Wind project, which is intended exclusively for Vietnam.
