Toshiba inks orders for Nam Ou 4 hydro plant in Laos

3 sets of 44MW hydroelectric generating equipment shall be supplied.

Toshiba Corporation announced that Toshiba Hydro Power Co., Ltd. (THPC), its Chinese subsidiary for the manufacture, sales and maintenance of hydroelectric equipment, has won a major order to supply three sets of 44-megawatts hydroelectric generating equipment for the Nam Ou 4 Hydro Power Plant in Luang Phabang Province, Laos. Equipment delivery will start in March 2018, and the new plant is scheduled to start commercial operation in 2020.

Laos, rich in water resources, including the Mekong, is known as “the battery of Southeast Asia” for exports of hydro-generated electricity to neighboring China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Hydro power plants accounts for most of Laos’ 3.27GW generation capacity, and this is expected to increase to 11.0GW by 2020.

The order was received from Power China Resources Ltd., one of China’s biggest power generation companies, and the equipment including first five-blade bulb water turbine will be designed and manufactured by THPC.

Toshiba installed its first hydropower system in Laos in 2010 and its supply record to date, including Nam Ngum 2, Nam Ngiep 2 and Nam Ou 5, is 9 hydroelectric turbines and generators with total capacity of 1,000MW.

Commenting on the order, Takao Konishi, Vice President of the Thermal & Hydro Power Systems & Services Div. in Toshiba's Energy Systems & Solutions Company said, “Since its first shipment of a 60kW hydroelectric generator to Japan’s Keage Power Plant in 1894, Toshiba Group has built up a long track record of providing more than 2,000 units with a total capacity of more than 58GW worldwide, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. With experience and technology shaped by this history, Toshiba will strengthen its efforts to support Laos’ plan to increase hydro power generation by delivering cost-effective, high performance hydro power products.”