色空省，老撾：在老撾南部綠意盎然的山脊間升起133座中國建造的風力渦輪機，為越南迅速增長的經濟提供電力，亦是區域內為分散能源來源而掀起的一股潮流的一部分。
「景色美麗。它們比樹木更高大，」23歲的托克塔·蓬薩拉在她位於 Dak Wai 村的木樑高架房裡，嬰兒攬在膝上，這樣說道。
水力發電大壩近年在東南亞快速增長，但在旱季產量會下降，批評者則憂慮其生態影響。
專家表示風電現在有望起飛，並以老撾的600兆瓦 Monsoon 風電項目為可行案例研究，而該項目於2025年8月開始運作。
這個覆蓋面積相當於新加坡大小的項目，總投資7億美元，是亞洲首個跨境風電項目，也是東南亞最大的風電場。
該項目由中國國有企業建設，並由以泰國為主的財團持有，透過專用輸電線路，將電力專供越南的國家電網。
身為製造業核心、東南亞增長最快的經濟體越南，已經開始從老撾這一最貧困的鄰國進口水力發電。
但「經濟效益正向風電傾斜」，非營利組織 EnergyLab Asia 的技術方案負責人特里斯坦·貝林厄姆說道。
「就像二十到三十年前水電的情況一樣，現在有一股搶佔特許與開發權的新風潮，」他說。
老撾已經有90座水力發電廠，鄰近國家還有數十座，讓可用的最佳開發地點所剩無幾。
“BETTER FOR DEVELOPMENT”
Bellingham said other wind farms were now riding “the coattails of Monsoon”, with one Laos official pointing to 10 to 15 projects under development nationwide.
For Toukta, the 18 family members she lives with and other rice and coffee farmers residing near the turbines, Monsoon has brought new roads and improved access to fresh water and healthcare.
What it has not brought to the community, however, is power.
Residents say they still experience outages during heavy storms, as Laos’s own electricity infrastructure is outdated and the state utility is heavily in debt.
Still, Toukta is glad Laos can send power abroad.
“It’s better for development and can bring prosperity,” she said.
For Vietnam, the project offers a reliable source of less costly energy.
There were severe blackouts in 2023 when drought cut into hydropower supply, and the government warned in September of the risk of electricity shortages from 2027 due to delays in planned power projects and increasing demand.
Through Monsoon, “wind power is being sold significantly cheaper to Vietnam than what Vietnam is buying wind power for locally”, said Thomas Jakobsen, managing director at Indochina Energy Partners.
He estimated that state utility Electricity Vietnam (EVN) was paying Monsoon around six US cents per kilowatt-hour – two to four US cents less than the Vietnamese rate.
Representatives of Monsoon Wind, EVN and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Monsoon project’s financial arranger, declined to share the rate during a recent press tour.
“SOMETHING UNIQUE”
The project is also key to Vietnam reaching net-zero emissions targets by 2050, according to Ninh Xuan Hiep, an official at EVN’s National Power Transmission Corporation.
He said that by 2030, Laos imports would equal nearly 10 per cent of Vietnam’s total installed capacity – its maximum possible production.
Monsoon Wind plans to boost capacity by 1,000 megawatts and is working to ensure some of this additional power is used inside Laos, according to general manager Narut Boakajorn.
“Laos has so much natural resources” – wind, hydro and solar, Narut said.
“Not many countries have all the good renewable energy in the same place. Laos has something unique.”
The government was set to reap US$180 million over the 25-year contract period, including taxes and community development and environmental protection funds, Narut added.
He insisted nobody was forced to relocate because of the project, although public dissent is severely restricted in communist Laos.
He said 1,600 grievances logged – mainly from farmers requesting compensation for construction impacts on their crops – were resolved.
Farmer Phonekhan Sengsopha, 23, said he was proud that electricity produced in his country was being sent to its neighbour, also a communist nation.
“Because Vietnam and Laos are like brothers. They help one another.”
