EGAT - Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand

02/09/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/08/2023 21:11

EGAT joins hands with EDL to drive 3 big businesses: telecommunications, O&M, and Smart Energy Solutions to enhance energy sector

EGAT joins hands with EDL to drive 3 big businesses: telecommunications, O&M, and Smart Energy Solutions to enhance energy sector

9 February 2023

EGAT and EDL signed an MOU for Communication Business, Operation and Maintenance Business, and Smart Energy Solutions to enhance the security of electricity generation and transmission systems as well as electricity businesses with sustainability.

On February 1, 2023, Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), and Mr. Chanthaboun Soukaloun, Managing Director of Électricité du Laos (EDL) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Communication Business, Operation and Maintenance Business, and Smart Energy Solutions. Dr. Jiraporn Sirikum, EGAT Deputy Governor - Power Business, and Mr. Vilaphorn Visounnarath, EDL Deputy Managing Director signed the MOU as witnesses. The ceremony was joined by executives from both parties along with EDL-Generation Public Company and Nam Ngum 3 Power Company Limited at the EDL Headquarters in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

This MOU is a good sign for the state enterprise of both countries to share its potential to strengthen energy security together. EGAT will contribute its knowledge on technical engineering, maintenance, telecommunications, academic work, and human resources development, including Smart Energy Solutions, an innovation that meets the electricity usage behavior of the future. As Thailand fully supports this development, we will be able to exchange knowledge with Lao PDR as well as expand to other countries. EGAT is ready to continuously cooperate alongside EDL in the future.

Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit, EGAT Governor said that Thailand and Lao PDR has a long-lasting relationship on energy for almost 60 years, including transmission system development, electricity generation project development, energy trading, technical engineering cooperation, academic works, and human resources development between agencies. This collaboration will enhance power system security, an important factor of developing the economy, as well as further the cooperation between the two countries sustainably.

Mr. Chanthaboun Soukaloun, Managing Director of EDL said that if the two organizations have a business partnership, they can develop further in many aspects, such as fiber optic system which can be expanded to the telecommunications business. As for the power plant operation and maintenance (O&M) business, Lao PDR currently has 80 dams nationwide and many electrical equipment. Therefore, there will be a high demand for power plant maintenance, so it is a good opportunity to develop the operation to be up to international standards as well as develop EDL's human resources. Lastly, Smart Energy Solutions is an important business that must be developed further and this MOU will lead to the study of its operation. In the future, if there are other development projects, EDL is happy to cooperate with EGAT.

This MOU covers three businesses: 1) Telecommunications business in which EGAT and EDL will jointly develop telecommunications in Lao PDR by utilizing local resources, as well as the fiber optic network between Thailand and Lao PDR, 2) Power plant operation and maintenance (O&M) business in which both countries will seek O&M business opportunities in Lao PDR, i.e. Nam Ngum 3 Hydropower Project, and 3) Smart Energy Solutions in which EGAT and EDL will exchange knowledge to develop Smart Energy Solutions in the part of microgrid and search for potential areas in Lao PDR to develop the system. The representatives of both countries will exchange knowledge, experiences, resources, and information useful for developing related businesses during a 3-year MOU period.