Laos’ Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) has set a goal to reach hydropower capacity of 12GW by 2025 and 20GW by 2030, with the objective of facilitating regional exports.
The nation is poised to export renewable electricity to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and to a lesser extent, to Myanmar and Malaysia.
Against this backdrop, large hydropower capacity in the country is expected to reach 16GW in 2035, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% during 2024-35, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, “Laos Power Market Outlook to 2035, Update 2025 – Market Trends, Regulations, and Competitive Landscape,” reveals that annual large hydropower generation in Laos is expected to increase at a CAGR of 4.6% between 2024-35 to reach 63.5TWh.
Although at the current pace, the country is expected to fall short of its 2030 target, proper policy enforcement and time-bound targets will enable it to bridge this gap.
In 2011, the country released Renewable Energy Development Strategy, setting a target to achieve 30% of energy consumption to be sourced from renewables by 2025. The government has primarily focused on hydropower along with biomass energy.
