The Vietnamese section of the Monsoon-Thanh My 500kV transmission line that links Laos to Vietnam was successfully energized at 10:43 pm on Thursday, achieving a significant milestone for the project, according to state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the project’s investor.  

This double-circuit transmission line connects the Monsoon wind power plant, currently under construction in Laos, to the 500kV Thanh My substation in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, Power Project Management Board 2 (PMB2), which manages the project on behalf of EVN, said on Friday.

The project is designed to supply an additional 600MW of electricity to Vietnam’s national power grid during the 2024-25 period.

The Vietnamese segment of the project spans approximately 44.71 kilometers in Quang Nam’s Nam Giang District, with a total investment of over VND1.1 trillion (US$44 million).

The investment was funded through loans from the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and counterpart capital provided by EVN.

According to the state utility, this project was developed to fulfill the bilateral cooperation agreement between the governments of Vietnam and Laos in the field of energy development.

It is implemented based on the prime minister’s approval of the electricity import policy and the connection plan with the Monsoon wind power plant in Laos.

It has also been approved in the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-30 period, with a vision to 2050, with EVN serving as the investor.

Construction of the Vietnamese section began on September 30, 2023 and faced numerous challenges, including land acquisition, forest-use conversion, rugged mountainous terrain, and harsh weather conditions.

Despite these difficulties, this segment was completed on schedule due to the dedicated efforts of the construction teams and the decisive leadership of EVN and PMB2.

This completion marks a significant breakthrough for the project, as it was achieved 40 days ahead of the Monsoon wind power plant’s expected commissioning date in early March 2025, EVN said.

The Monsoon-Thanh My 500kV transmission line has a maximum transmission capacity of around 2,500 MW, significantly boosting the operational capacity of Vietnam’s national power grid by enabling the import of electricity from Laos.

After the Monsoon wind power plant is completed, the line is projected to transmit about 1.7 billion kWh each year.

This project represents a critical step in strengthening regional energy cooperation and ensuring a stable power supply for Vietnam.